Business
Although I have operated my business in Thatcham since 1992, I only made my house move into West Berkshire four years ago.
I decided to move close to Newbury because I liked the town itself, and I loved the surrounding countryside. In spite of all the grumbles I have heard about Newbury in the intervening time, I have certainly not been disappointed by our decision to come here.
So I have views on the controversial Park Way development, as a businessman and a resident, and I am in favour of it on both grounds. I hear a lot about the dearth of independent shops in Newbury, people deploring the fact that chain shops are taking over our main shopping streets, but I haven't seen anyone suggest a course of action which would halt this trend.
Some people clearly think that the Council should "do something" about this, although I don't know what they could do: shop sites in Newbury are invariably owned by private landlords, and they will always be looking to get the best price for their property leases.
I shouldn't think they care too much whether they are letting to a chain or an independent, and the fact is that in the UK at the moment chain stores are generally prospering at the expense of the independent.
When it comes to Park Way things are a little different: here we are dealing with a development which is also privately financed, with Standard Life as the landlord, looking to maximise their rents in the same way (and assuming all of the financial risk), but because this requires a major redevelopment of Newbury town centre, the fingerprints of West Berkshire Council are all over it, with planning consents, public consultation and compulsory purchase required. With the recent reduction in the Standard Life offer, those who oppose the scheme have been making a lot more noise again.
The debate about Park Way seems to be the same as the one about independents versus chain shops, and is between the "traditionalists" (who want to keep Newbury as an old-fashioned market town) and the "progressives" who support the Newbury Vision 2025. As someone who runs a 21st century business in high-tech videoconferencing, I suppose I would be expected to be a "progressive", but the fact that I am in my 50s and I live in an 18th century house might indicate that I am a "traditionalist".
I have both these elements in my character, but what I am clear about is that change is the driving force behind business, and there has been an awful lot of change in the retail sector in recent times. For example, a mere 10 years ago internet shopping was almost unknown, but now it accounts for 10 per cent of all retail sales in the UK. Pubs have had to change dramatically too, with drink-driving rules and smoking bans forcing more of them to become restaurants. So if opposing Park Way means siding with those who do not see the need for change in Newbury town centre, then I must wholeheartedly support it.
I decided to move close to Newbury because I liked the town itself, and I loved the surrounding countryside. In spite of all the grumbles I have heard about Newbury in the intervening time, I have certainly not been disappointed by our decision to come here.
So I have views on the controversial Park Way development, as a businessman and a resident, and I am in favour of it on both grounds. I hear a lot about the dearth of independent shops in Newbury, people deploring the fact that chain shops are taking over our main shopping streets, but I haven't seen anyone suggest a course of action which would halt this trend.
Some people clearly think that the Council should "do something" about this, although I don't know what they could do: shop sites in Newbury are invariably owned by private landlords, and they will always be looking to get the best price for their property leases.
I shouldn't think they care too much whether they are letting to a chain or an independent, and the fact is that in the UK at the moment chain stores are generally prospering at the expense of the independent.
When it comes to Park Way things are a little different: here we are dealing with a development which is also privately financed, with Standard Life as the landlord, looking to maximise their rents in the same way (and assuming all of the financial risk), but because this requires a major redevelopment of Newbury town centre, the fingerprints of West Berkshire Council are all over it, with planning consents, public consultation and compulsory purchase required. With the recent reduction in the Standard Life offer, those who oppose the scheme have been making a lot more noise again.
The debate about Park Way seems to be the same as the one about independents versus chain shops, and is between the "traditionalists" (who want to keep Newbury as an old-fashioned market town) and the "progressives" who support the Newbury Vision 2025. As someone who runs a 21st century business in high-tech videoconferencing, I suppose I would be expected to be a "progressive", but the fact that I am in my 50s and I live in an 18th century house might indicate that I am a "traditionalist".
I have both these elements in my character, but what I am clear about is that change is the driving force behind business, and there has been an awful lot of change in the retail sector in recent times. For example, a mere 10 years ago internet shopping was almost unknown, but now it accounts for 10 per cent of all retail sales in the UK. Pubs have had to change dramatically too, with drink-driving rules and smoking bans forcing more of them to become restaurants. So if opposing Park Way means siding with those who do not see the need for change in Newbury town centre, then I must wholeheartedly support it.
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