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New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:30 am
by Henley

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 11:39 am
by H1987
Dear me, the high street is in terminal decline in Darlington. It struck me the last time i was back. It's got to be a bad sign when even McDonalds pack up and leave. M&S is off as well isn't it?

I know it's kind of indicative of how town centres are going now, where they're more for leisure than shopping (and the bars and restaurants are generally getting better) but still. With Binns gone there's not exactly going to be much else.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 11:59 am
by divas
There’s clearly little demand ergo no great loss.

I expect in the next 20 year many town centre’s will be repurposed for housing seeing a return to how they were before the shopping boom

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:57 pm
by DarloDave40
I’m not keen on DBC, but your can’t blame them for this closure. HOF have a a new Chinese investor who has basically told them if you want the investment close 31 stores. Poundland is also about to go into administration with a loss of 6000 jobs.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:07 pm
by BUSHEAD
Town centre retail is dead, or dying .

Like Divas said, town centres will return to housing in the not too distant future.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:59 pm
by theoriginalfatcat
Shop wise Binns is one of the best things Darlo has going for it - closing it will be yet another reason why people won't travel into the town any more - but what can anyone do?

:thumbdown:

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:52 pm
by H1987
Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 6:44 pm
by lifetime darlo fan
H1987 wrote:Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:
B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:25 pm
by HarrytheQuaker
lifetime darlo fan wrote:
H1987 wrote:Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:
B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:52 pm
by aveda
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
lifetime darlo fan wrote:
H1987 wrote:Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:
B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:26 pm
by HarrytheQuaker
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
lifetime darlo fan wrote:
H1987 wrote:Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:
B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:46 pm
by aveda
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
lifetime darlo fan wrote:
H1987 wrote:Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:
B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...
As it's an asset ?

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:37 pm
by HarrytheQuaker
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
lifetime darlo fan wrote: B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...
As it's an asset ?
Prime location

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:20 am
by Darlo_Pete
This thread should be off topic, where a similar thread has already been started.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 6:13 am
by jjljks
Solution is to build the new Sports Hub in the town centre. Knock down the unwanted stores and put in a bus station together with a 10k stadium and parking.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 6:47 am
by real_darlo_85
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
lifetime darlo fan wrote:
H1987 wrote:Bars and restaurants? The range of which seems to get better each time i return anyway. The problem with places like this closing is that they can't easily be repurposed for other businesses, so they tend to sit empty.

See BHS. It's such a big unit, no small business would want it. Bit big for a club shop, even with beneficial rates :mrgreen:
B & M are opening a new store creating 35 jobs in the old BHS store. Savers are moving into the old Argos building. Not all retail is dead and buried. I love our town centre and with the 2 hour free parking initiative (long overdue) hopefully footfall might increase. The council should have reduced the parking costs years ago
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...
Council made a fast buck buy selling a lot of the town centre retail about 10 years ago to property companies based in London. They charged and still charge London rates and with the financial spiral since 2008 businesses large and small just can't afford or justify paying extortionate rates. It's another example of the council's complete ineptness! :roll: :thumbdown:

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:03 am
by aveda
real_darlo_85 wrote: Council made a fast buck buy selling a lot of the town centre retail about 10 years ago to property companies based in London. They charged and still charge London rates and with the financial spiral since 2008 businesses large and small just can't afford or justify paying extortionate rates. It's another example of the council's complete ineptness! :roll: :thumbdown:
Which properties do you think they sold ten years ago ?

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:17 am
by HarrytheQuaker
Darlo_Pete wrote:This thread should be off topic, where a similar thread has already been started.
It had to be one you started Pete ImageImageImage

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:19 pm
by aveda
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:[quote="aveda
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...
As it's an asset ?[/quote]
Prime location[/quote]

99.99% sure they don't own it and probably never have.

New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:53 pm
by HarrytheQuaker
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:[quote="aveda
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...
As it's an asset ?
Prime location[/quote]

99.99% sure they don't own it and probably never have.[/quote]

I bow down to you're superior knowledge

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 1:29 pm
by aveda
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:
aveda wrote:
HarrytheQuaker wrote:[quote="aveda
Totally agree with this if the council lowered the rent prices that surely would help smaller retailers and the big ones too..
The Council only owns a handful of properties in the town centre. The high rents aren't down to them.
I bet they own Binns as its an Asset...
As it's an asset ?
Prime location
99.99% sure they don't own it and probably never have.[/quote]

I bow down to you're superior knowledge[/quote]

No need to bow, I'm not Darlogramps

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 1:59 pm
by Darlogramps


I'm very much in favour of the idea of people bowing down to me.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 3:03 pm
by Darlo Dodger
This article sort of implies that Binns / House of Fraser Bought the darlington High Row properties themselves in the early part of last century.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1 ... _together/

They did however do some sort of sale and lease back deal on a number of their properties in the early part of this century but I do not know if the Darlington Binns was part of that deal.

As a slight aside David Black must have had some night out on the evening of the fire.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/busi ... 19066.html

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 3:09 pm
by spen666
Darlo Dodger wrote:This article sort of implies that Binns / House of Fraser Bought the darlington High Row properties themselves in the early part of last century.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1 ... _together/

They did however do some sort of sale and lease back deal on a number of their properties in the early part of this century but I do not know if the Darlington Binns was part of that deal.

...

Your interpretation is supported by information from HM Land Registry.
The property at 7 High Row has not been sold since sometime before 1990 according to HM Land Registry information. The Darlington area become a compulsory registration area in 1990, meaning any property sales from then onwards must be registered at HM Lan Registry to be a valid transaction. They also confirm that the property is not registered ergo it has not been sold since 1990

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 3:44 pm
by Maurice_Peddelty
Darlo Dodger wrote:This article sort of implies that Binns / House of Fraser Bought the darlington High Row properties themselves in the early part of last century.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1 ... _together/

They did however do some sort of sale and lease back deal on a number of their properties in the early part of this century but I do not know if the Darlington Binns was part of that deal.

As a slight aside David Black must have had some night out on the evening of the fire.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/busi ... 19066.html
It would seem that House of Fraser made the same mistake as Woolworths did. Woolies owned most of their estate originally but saw an opportunity to increase profits by selling off and leasing back. No doubt their board had handsome bonuses for a few years, but further down the line Woolies had no resilience when they hit a prolonged downturn having to deal with the fixed cost of the rent.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:59 pm
by andydarlo
Never ever thought I would see the the day when ERGO was use don this forum :)
How educated we have become

To lose one key anchor tentant, to use shopping mall speak, is careless; to lose 2 is ....... (choose your own word)

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:21 am
by Maurice_Peddelty
Sign of changing times as it is not just Darlington. Would be interesting to know how many lamenting the closure have purchased in store in the past year.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 9:44 am
by Darlo Dodger
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Darlo Dodger wrote:This article sort of implies that Binns / House of Fraser Bought the darlington High Row properties themselves in the early part of last century.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1 ... _together/

They did however do some sort of sale and lease back deal on a number of their properties in the early part of this century but I do not know if the Darlington Binns was part of that deal.

As a slight aside David Black must have had some night out on the evening of the fire.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/busi ... 19066.html
It would seem that House of Fraser made the same mistake as Woolworths did. Woolies owned most of their estate originally but saw an opportunity to increase profits by selling off and leasing back. No doubt their board had handsome bonuses for a few years, but further down the line Woolies had no resilience when they hit a prolonged downturn having to deal with the fixed cost of the rent.
Property deals with short term cash / profitability benefits have been the downfall of many businesses. The sale and lease back produces immediate cash. It can be justified if the business needs substantial cash investment but it can also be disastrous for the long term future of the business. Another deal to be wary of is the seemingly straightforward long term lease on prestigious new premises. I know of one very long established business (they were in the property field themselves) which took out a 25 year lease on just such premises. The first 2-3 years were either rent free or at a very modest rent.
The directors who were on profit related bonuses made a fortune in these early years and then retired.
The full commercial rent then kicked in.
The receivers were in and the place closed down within the next two years.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 12:27 pm
by Neil Johnson
jjljks wrote:Solution is to build the new Sports Hub in the town centre. Knock down the unwanted stores and put in a bus station together with a 10k stadium and parking.
One useless building in Feethams could be bulldozed.

Re: New venue required to . . .

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:59 pm
by theoriginalfatcat
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:Sign of changing times as it is not just Darlington. Would be interesting to know how many lamenting the closure have purchased in store in the past year.
I have! A pair of 501's :thumbup: