“When the report talks about Nottingham it is referring to a much broader area than the city centre (or BID zone) and includes outlying areas of the city that are not retail focused,” writes Gary Rowntree, chairman of the Nottingham Retail Business Improvement District (BID).
“It is therefore not a true reflection of the current state of retail in Nottingham city centre where footfall figures remain strong, particularly compared to other cities, and where new retail outlets continue to open. Most recently these have included Jo Malone on Low Pavement, the first accessories only River Island store in the country in the Victoria Centre and Pretty Green on Victoria Street. There is clearly still confidence in the city amongst retailers and plenty of people are still choosing to shop in the city.
“However, Nottingham cannot rest on its laurels. Retailers are keen to see investment in the city and in particular in the redevelopment of parts of the retail provision. There are clearly pockets with lower levels of occupancy in the city, the Broadmarsh Centre being a prime example. This is in part due to the development plans for the centre which have been the subject of much speculation for a number of years following the acquisition by Westfield in 2000. The company had ambitions plans for the centre and was looking to create 400 outlets over 3 floors. However, economic uncertainty, delayed progress and subsequent plans for a smaller redevelopment never came to fruition either. With the Broadmarsh and Victoria Centres now owned by Capital Shopping Centres we hope that a clear plan for developing the city’s two largest shopping centres will be agreed and the uncertainty removed. This will then allow retailers in all areas of the city centre to plan for the future with much more certainty than in recent years.
“In the short term the Nottingham Retail BID team, working closely with their colleagues on the Leisure BID, will continue to focus on delivering initiatives to attract more shoppers to the city and to encourage them to stay for longer. This includes organising a range of events such as last year’s award winning Floral Trail and Food Festival and the successful Christmas marketing campaign. The BIDs are also engaging with the City Council and helping to shape its Retail Strategy, part of which will need to include plans to tackle the problem of empty units.
“The BIDs are also commissioning a review of parking provision and charging in the city with a view to recommending an alternative approach to the recent price increases and the extension of the charging window. Tackling these issues, which are very real for the retailers trading in the city today, will help to ensure that Nottingham remains the destination of choice for shoppers across the East Midlands and will help to encourage new retailers to take on some of the empty units.”
