Just William - Herne Hill

[echotango]

I'm sure many of you are already aware of the plight of this Herne Hill institution, we are lucky enough in East Dulwich to host a sister shop on Lordship Lane, hence the reason for this post.

Unfortunately it looks like the Herne Hill branch may soon be forced to shut its doors on the children of southeast London for good on account of a rather mercenary hike in the rent by the landlord, Dulwich Estates.

There is more information on the changing nature of this part of London, and the role played by some of the larger landlords, in the following link:

http://www.hernehill.org.uk/news/herne-hill-cross-roads

For those of you who care about local traders and the demise of the independent shop, please follow the next link and do sign the petition if you feel strongly enough about supporting Just William and are interested in making a stand against unrealistic rent increases forced upon many of the independent businesses in this corner of London.

http://www.hernehill.org.uk/news/70-rent-increase-dulwich-estates-has-driven-out-just-williams

Many thanks.

[echotango]

Editorial here:

http://londonist.com/2016/01/we-are-being-punished-for-making-our-area-better

[edcam]

See this thread in the Lounge:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1626921

[jimbo1964]

Sad and depressing.

[richard tudor]

Why? On another thread they have a sister shop on Lordship Lane.

Why cannot the Landlord run his business as a profitable concern.

If he cannot let the shop he has got it wrong.

If it is that important to the "children" people will be more than to pay to compensate for the rent rise.

There are more important concerns than this.

[The_Monkeyboy]

I am very saddened to read about these changes that are more extensive than I had previously understood. Whilst some turnover amongst units is perhaps beneficial (for example, see the brewers recently occupying the Norwood Road and Rosendale Rd arches) I firmly believe the extensive changes that are shortly coming have the potential to make the area unrecognisable, and not in a good way.

As a long term resident of the area, it seems to me that the behaviour of Dulwich Estates reflects a short term focus on financial gain at the expense of long term impact in the community. This should come as no surprise given their activity in recent years, where we have seen several entirely self centred developments from this faceless organisation. One of the most outrageous being the residential development in Dulwich village on the former Audi car showroom site, but also see the mismanagement of the public houses (Half Moon, Greyhound and Harvester) in recent times.

The beneficiaries from this mismanagement/abuse of the community by Dulwich Estate represent a number of local public schools, a clear minority. Meanwhile, the fabric of the area is changed for which we all suffer.

When I walked home last night I passed the Herne Hill sign under the railway bridge which had been daubed in pink paint, presumably by some moron with nothing better to do. I was pretty disgusted by such a pointless act of vandalism, yet on reflection, it's a no less constructive contribution to the area than that we have seen from Dulwich Estate's recently.

MB

[spider69]

Perhaps some banker who had a bad day on the markets who now cannot buy toys.

[echotango]

richard tudor Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why? On another thread they have a sister shop on

> Lordship Lane.

>

> Why cannot the Landlord run his business as a

> profitable concern.

>

> If he cannot let the shop he has got it wrong.

>

> If it is that important to the "children" people

> will be more than to pay to compensate for the

> rent rise.

>

> There are more important concerns than this.

As a local resident I have the right to be concerned about this. The landlord in question is the Dulwich Estate, a registered charity. Just William is one of an increasing number of small businesses who, after more than a decade of trade, are now falling victim to an arguably aggressive revenue raising exercise by said charity.

Small independent business is the driving force of communities such as East Dulwich and Herne Hill, and when we start seeing some of the trailblazers, such as Just William, swept aside (the Herne Hill branch is the original shop) then we are on dangerous ground indeed.

[Otta]

Bloke in that londonist article basically groats about having priced people out of the area before moaning about an inevitable consequence.

I'm absolutely no fan of the Dulwich Estate, but how can anyone be surprised?

How do the new rents compare to a unit on Lordship Lane out of interest?

[spider69]

That is how commercial business operates.

If I wanted to open a new business would I be able to have the same rates as trail blazer business?

Yummy mummy pressure is not important financial cash flows are the driving force. Form a local co-operative and take it over.

[stephent]

There's a thread on the HH forum with a response from the Estate, which implies a lot of what is being said isn't accurate...

http://www.hernehill.org.uk/comment/8485#comment-8485

[spider69]

Any one like to comment?

[tiddles]

I understand that a lot of the smaller shops who rent from the dulwich estate in dulwich village and west dulwich are facing approx 10K rent hikes this year.

[keane]

The guy who runs the flower shop in the village has direct experience of this type of behaviour from the estate & it's worth hearing his experience if u are ever down that way.

[blimeyoreilly]

It is then the work of a short termist and possibly foolish commercial business.

Great post on the Londonist I'm going to point you to here:

"The end result of this process as you describe it is a high street full of chain stores that looks the same as anywhere else as these are the only companies who can pay such rents... the area loses it's unique appeal and people stop visiting. Chain stores are owned by national and international interests and pay minimum wage so the families who used to own their own businesses end up stacking shelves in Waitrose for minimum wage. Also, as far as 'landlords asking the rent they can get'... look at Germany and France where rapacious property development is controlled... landlords still make money and do ok out of it but they don't succumb to a level of greed in which only multinationals can survive and are allowed to swallow up communities. Property developers and chain stores seek only to pay dividends to their shareholders... they do not invest in local communities... they suck as much profit out of the area as possible."

Dulwich Estates have had 3 pubs which are all closed - losing them money and us the opportunity to use the pubs. They have just allowed the 7th hairdressers in the area to open. Traders are facing massive rent hikes that are based on 'what the market will bear' rather than a considered long term strategies. Those they rent to talk of difficulties in getting answers from Dulwich Estates.

This all smacks to me of incompetence rather than greed - or as well as. Its probably time to shine a light on this rather cosy and old fashioned charity. What is required for it to have it charitable status and are they fulfilling all of these requirements? What are their strategic plans for the area?

We should ask these questions of any large business that had such an impact on us. I would welcome their attendance at any of the community meetings to give us an opportunity to discuss these points with them.

They have been rather silent on all of these points with the exception of publishing personal correspondence re rent with them and Just Williams on this forum, something I consider to be deeply unprofessional

[edhistory]

> Dulwich Estates have had 3 pubs

Reminds me of the two accountants joke.

[blimeyoreilly]

oh, do tell! ;p

[Loz]

blimeyoreilly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> They have been rather silent on all of these points with the exception of publishing personal

> correspondence re rent with them and Just Williams on this forum, something I consider to be deeply

> unprofessional

That's not correct, unless there is more than the single letter on the other thread. They went out of their way to NOT published personal correspondence - they just showed the parameters under which the rental rates are determined and confirmed these were kept to.

[echotango]

Link to the protest organised against rent increases, planned for this coming Saturday,30th January.

http://www.hernehill.org.uk/news/childrens-march-save-our-shops-campaign

[Charles Notice]

And the children, the young customers of Just Williams, are so heartbroken by the closure of their beloved toyshop, that they are going to stage a protest on Saturday 30th January. Dylan, six, said: ?I feel sad because Just Williams is my favourite toy shop and I like it in its old place.? Jemima, 11, said: ?I don?t want Just Williams to go. It?s magic, and I just love buying my toys from there and seeing all the other kids there as well.?

What next?

[LondonMix]

"Its magic"-- has anyone actually ever heard a child use a term like this to describe a store?

[Otta]

Charles Notice Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And the children, the young customers of Just

> Williams, are so heartbroken by the closure of

> their beloved toyshop, that they are going to

> stage a protest on Saturday 30th January. Dylan,

> six, said: ?I feel sad because Just Williams is my

> favourite toy shop and I like it in its old

> place.? Jemima, 11, said: ?I don?t want Just

> Williams to go. It?s magic, and I just love buying

> my toys from there and seeing all the other kids

> there as well.?

>

> What next?

I'm sure Jemima will get over it once she realises that her pocket money will go further on Amazon.

[Louisa]

What's that phrase, "first world problems"?

Some kids both home and abroad are starving and would be happy to just have a hot meal. I find it difficult to sympathise, sorry!

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

It wont be the last time they will have their hearts broken..

They will grow up and have boy friends / girl friends and will get their hearts broken and will probably

break a few hearts themselves.

Foxy

[KateA69]

Its worth reading the full article on the Herne Hill forum about this rather than this snapshot quote - http://www.hernehill.org.uk/news/herne-hill-cross-roads I think the point is that its the independent shops, such as Just Williams, that are closing due to 70% rent hikes imposed by Dulwich Estates a local charity. And Just Williams aren't the only ones that might close, not just in Herne Hill but in West Dulwich as well. These have contributed to making the area we all live in the way it is now. I'd hate for our High Street to become a MacHighSt with big chains because of a 70% rent hike that pushes the rental costs of these shops beyond their market value. We all know that profits need to be made, but its about balance, and being reasonable. Dulwich Estates currently own 3 of the key pubs in our area that are all closed due to delays in their decision-making etc. And yes of course there are bigger issues, and children are starving, which are also really important, if not more so, but its worth trying to campaign for both - local and bigger issues. Who hasn't on this forum ever bought something from a local supplier? Who hasn't benefited from some of the great local activities organised by local people such as street parties and festivals? Once the local independent shops have gone, we won't have that choice anymore.