Would you like to see more market stalls in Bedminster?

I would agree that traders should be given some sort of break in terms of rent and rates. However, what also needs to be looked at closely is the kind of shops that are allowed to open in order to increase diversity.

Look closely at East St and it soon becomes obvious that outside the national chains that can be found on high streets everywhere the bulk of the shops fall into one of five distinct categories...cafes/takeaways, charity shops, banks/building societies, pawnbrokers/cheque cashing and amusement arcades. In fact, I don't know of any other shopping street with quite so many cheque cashers/pawnbrokers and amusement arcades, at least not outside of a seaside town for the latter. Independent traders are in short supply and several have already closed or are due to close.

Watching people on East St and it soon becomes obvious that many are there for specific reasons. There is a lot of pass through and not a lot of 'browsing' as there is nothing to catch their interest as much of the streets diversity has been lost over the last 20 years (particularly in the last 5). They don't want a Subway or Miss Millies, don't need a cheque cashing and are not interested in charity shops...they are there to visit Boots, Peacocks, Wilkinsons for a specific purchase and go home. With a wider and more diverse range of shops and even a street market people might even stop or be attracted to the area.

North Street is faring better, at least the upper part is as the range of shops is more diverse although there is still a risk if more premises are allowed to become cafes/restaurants or charity shops. The lower part is pretty much a dead zone compared to what it was 30 or so years ago with office premises, junk shops, cafes/takeaways and derelict/empty premises making up the bulk of the premises with only a few independent traders interspersed amongst them.

So, what to do? Reduce rents and business rates to encourage traders to open in the area, promote diversity rather than allowing multiples of the same kind of shop to open (we have dozens of shops selling sandwiches, do we need another?), find out what people want in terms of shops (Bargain book shop? Specialist bakers? Toy shop? Gadget shop? Chinese supermarket?), clean up the area (the vandalized Gala bingo hall is not a great advert for North Street) and get traders to polish up their premises (there are a couple that whilst I and no doubt other local people know they are great value that because of their appearance, put less knowledgeable people off patronising them) and above all, promote it when it comes together.

I like street markets they definitely bring vibrancy to shopping areas. In particular Farmers Markets, When I have visited a friend in Thornbury, we went to the local market and it was packed and brought a lot of people into the town, so I was given to understand. Whiteladies Rd market seems very popular too. Whose to say it won't be good for our local shopping area. Surely we have to try something.