Protect London's independent shops

The Issue

London is not just my home. It is a place that I feel a deep connection to, a history that stretches back all the way to when my great-grandparents arrived here, fleeing persecution, at the turn of the 20th century.

Throughout that time, each generation of our family has worked hard to run their own small businesses. My great-grandparents started a sweet shop on Hanbury Street, in East London, and my grandfather ran a small tailor’s studio a stone's throw away from there. My father established his own accountancy practice. And now, a hundred years after my grandparents arrived in this amazing city, I have spent the last few years running my own small food business, What The Dickens, and I’m about to set up Bernstein’s, selling the amazing Jewish food I grew up with.

The government tells us that it’s pro-business, however, increasingly both the political and market conditions are being set up to favour big retail and large high street chains over creative, independent enterprises. With ever increasing rents, premiums and rates, and almost no regulations on either the rents charged by landlords or the lease conditions they insist upon, small businesses are progressively being priced out of the market with the obvious homogenisation of our high streets clear evidence of this trend in a city usually famed for its diversity and creativity. 

Seeing the vibrant heart of the city I love being ripped out in favour of identikit high streets, from Shoreditch to Chinatown, and Soho to Brixton, is demoralising as a small retailer and heartbreaking as a Londoner.

That’s why I'm calling for a new position to be created at City Hall by our Mayor: an Independent Retail Tsar whose remit would be to represent the interests of independent retail, identify the barriers to the increased success of such small businesses and to celebrate the vital role these enterprises play in creating the unique place that is London.

Please join me in taking a stand against the giants and call on the next London Mayor to protect what makes this city so special.

(Photo credit: Chatsworth Road Market by Kriss Lee)

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Adam BernsteinPetition Starter
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This petition had 32,190 supporters

The Issue

London is not just my home. It is a place that I feel a deep connection to, a history that stretches back all the way to when my great-grandparents arrived here, fleeing persecution, at the turn of the 20th century.

Throughout that time, each generation of our family has worked hard to run their own small businesses. My great-grandparents started a sweet shop on Hanbury Street, in East London, and my grandfather ran a small tailor’s studio a stone's throw away from there. My father established his own accountancy practice. And now, a hundred years after my grandparents arrived in this amazing city, I have spent the last few years running my own small food business, What The Dickens, and I’m about to set up Bernstein’s, selling the amazing Jewish food I grew up with.

The government tells us that it’s pro-business, however, increasingly both the political and market conditions are being set up to favour big retail and large high street chains over creative, independent enterprises. With ever increasing rents, premiums and rates, and almost no regulations on either the rents charged by landlords or the lease conditions they insist upon, small businesses are progressively being priced out of the market with the obvious homogenisation of our high streets clear evidence of this trend in a city usually famed for its diversity and creativity. 

Seeing the vibrant heart of the city I love being ripped out in favour of identikit high streets, from Shoreditch to Chinatown, and Soho to Brixton, is demoralising as a small retailer and heartbreaking as a Londoner.

That’s why I'm calling for a new position to be created at City Hall by our Mayor: an Independent Retail Tsar whose remit would be to represent the interests of independent retail, identify the barriers to the increased success of such small businesses and to celebrate the vital role these enterprises play in creating the unique place that is London.

Please join me in taking a stand against the giants and call on the next London Mayor to protect what makes this city so special.

(Photo credit: Chatsworth Road Market by Kriss Lee)

avatar of the starter
Adam BernsteinPetition Starter
Media enquiries

The Decision Makers

Zac Goldsmith
Zac Goldsmith
Responded
“I'm delighted to back this petition from Change.org. I've backed direct democracy my whole career and have used this fantastic website several times, most recently in 2014 when funding for Kew Gardens in my constituency was under threat. We got over 70,000 signatures and that helped us make our successful case to the Prime Minister and Chancellor. I know these petitions work. So my huge thanks for signing this petition. If you back me on May 5th, I will back a Retail Tsar to help bring London's 600 High Streets back into life - and invest at least £20 million in a new Town Centre Regeneration Fund. Thank you for signing this petition - please do read my full Action Plan for Greater London here https://issuu.com/conservativeparty/docs/zac_manifesto​ ​ I hope you choose to back me and my plans on May 5th”
Siân Berry
Siân Berry
Responded
“I was really moved by this petition and the story behind it - something that's all too common across London at the moment. Small businesses and independent retailers in London are central to London's cultural and creative life, yet they are being squeezed out by rising rents, larger identikit retailers and Government policies which are encouraging the conversion of business space into flats. As Mayor I will ensure that smaller firms and co-operatives, alongside creative venues and businesses, receive the support they need to flourish. Small and medium-sized firms are at the heart of our communities, providing most of our jobs and helping to make our neighbourhoods distinctive and our city somewhere people want to live and work. I will protect areas where groups of businesses are of particular heritage and cultural significance to the city as a whole, such as the musical instrument cluster on Denmark Street’s ‘Tin Pan Alley’ or the restaurants on Brick Lane. I will also ensure all businesses displaced in City Hall and Council regeneration plans are able to return to those sites at reasonable rents Greens on the London Assembly have fought hard in recent years to stop popular local markets being closed and replaced by shopping centres dominated by corporate shops. They have pushed the Mayor to stand up to the Government over their policy of allowing shop/business spaces to be used for housing. They have persuaded the Mayor to introduce planning protections for small shops, as a consequence of two major investigations. By exposing the loss of space and rising costs faced by small businesses and creative industries, they have recently forced the Mayor and Transport for London to rethink policies around redeveloping light industrial sites, like railway arches. While both previous Mayors have promoted the interests of big developers, the Greens at City Hall have been fighting for small businesses. ”
Caroline Pidgeon
Caroline Pidgeon
Responded
“I very much welcome this petition. Our high streets are what often makes an area and local community special. It is vital that we do not live in a city where every high street looks the same and is totally dominated by the same national brands of retailers. Through the London Plan the Mayor of London can take an important role in maintaining and supporting independent businesses. My manifesto sets out the following policies: • support smaller retailers by insisting boroughs have schemes to provide Business Rate relief and preferential rental values for small shops in at-risk high streets • ensure local communities are involved in how the GLA’s high street regeneration funds are allocated, rather than simply leaving councils to make the decisions • work with borough councils to ensure balanced high streets, for example to limit the proliferation of gambling establishments Full details of my manifesto can be seen at: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/ldlondon/pages/863/attachments/original/1460394393/London_2016_Manifesto_Full.pdf?1460394393”
Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London

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Petition created on 1 April 2016