The current state of Dorking - 19 shops vacant!
The Town Centre Manager's report has been posted on here on the current position with the empty units in the town. I agree with the vistor's comments that it is worrying considering the current healthy economic stability nationwide. Dorking currently has 19 shops vacant! Imagine if we were in a recession - Dorking would be wiped out commercially. Leatherhead has always been a town which historically has underperformed, but even Leatherhead now seems to be doing better than Dorking, even though it too is still well behind the average town.
What is it about this area? Is it the Council? The location? The management or the greedy landlords? Or maybe it is something else. I think it is a bit of all of these things bar the location.
It was interesting that a wine bar planning application had been submitted in South Street. I really support the new Tapas Bar and really hope it stays.
View more on the current goings on here... (third post down on the page)
posted by The Cockerel @ 11:48 PM
3 Comments:
Jesus, this is much worse than I thought. There are a number of reasons why Dorking is struggling at the moment - greedy landlords, road works, traffic congestion / pollution, shop units are too small for the chains, outrageous rent demands, town centre manager seems to work on a part-time basis, St. Martin's Walk manager getting back handers from Thornfield (who own St. Martin's Walk) is running down the shopping centre so, Sainsbury's can get permission for their superstore etc.
Dorking should be no different from Reigate. Whilst Dorking struggles, Reigate continues to go from strength to strength. Whilst White Stuff, Laura Ashley and Stada have opened up recently in Reigate. All Dorking has to show is the opening of a few charity shops and a Pink Cockerel on the roundabout!!! Mole Valley / Surrey County Council & Town Centre Management do NOT care about the state of the town. The non-existent traffic lights, empty shops, pavements covered in covered in grime (grease and chewing gum!) all show how far Dorking has fallen. The spin put on the state of Dorking by town centre management was laughable and since this report, at least two or three shops have closed or relocated out of the town. They ALL should be ashamed of themselves!!
DORKING Dan
Very straight forward this one - people who live in Reigate choose to shop in Reigate whilst people who live in Dorking would rather go to Epsom, Guildford, Leatherhead and Reigate. People are always complaining about the lack of shops, short term parking, parking prices etc. Why don't they realise that Dorking is not that bad of a place to shop, eat and drink?? Yes, there are far too many charity shops and not enough clothing shops. A greengrocer would be nice as well as a decent deli, upmarket restaurant etc. We should not complain as Dorking will never be in the same league as Guildford and Kingston and it is definitely not as dull as the other 'clone towns' like Epsom and Horsham. Dorking struggles because the population of the town is very small in comparison to our nearest neighbours like Leatherhead and even Ashtead!
"Dorking currently has 19 shops vacant! Imagine if we were in a recession - Dorking would be wiped out commercially."
It's 16 months later and we're in a recession now. Hopefully your words won't come true. I've lived near Dorking (Holmbury St.Mary) for 10 years and although I go into town every second weekend or so, it's only for mundane things like haircuts. Clothes we get in Guildford (more trendy shops), the weekly food shop is Burpham and leisure is Guildford too (Odeon).
Dorking reminds me a lot of Huntingdon Cambs where I used to live - it has similar traffic and superlonghighstreet problems.
If I had to peer into the future and try and come up with ways that Dorking could become a very attractive place to shop and go on the weekends again my vote would be for something like a monthly market event with the centre pedestrian only and a Y shaped market running the length of west, south and high street. If that were on every first Saturday of every month with some decent publicity then I guarantee people from all the little villages would come and visit
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