Action Group Formed to Improve North End Road
Traders, business owners and residents aim to boost Fulham shopping street
Over 70 traders, business owners and residents gathered at St John’s Church in Fulham on Wednesday September 17 to talk about how to protect and improve North End Road.
By the end of the evening, people were queuing up to join an action group that will work with the council to come up with an overarching plan for North End Road.
This was the second meeting of the council’s new policy and accountability committee (PAC) for economic regeneration, housing and the arts.
" We need to come together as a community because we all want to see North End Road thrive," said Cllr Ben Coleman, who chairs the PAC. " This is not something the council can do on its own – nor should we want to. It’s clear there’s real enthusiasm from everyone involved and we’re looking forward to getting started."
Issues raised included traffic congestion, parking restrictions, untidy shop fronts, a lack of pavement space, too little variety of shops and too many empty shops. Early ideas for improvement included pedestrianising the road on Saturdays.
Cllr Coleman said: " Our action group on North End Road will get going in the next two or three weeks. Anyone who wants to be part of it or just send us ideas, please contact Sue Perrin at sue.perrin@lbhf.gov.uk."
How well do you know North End Road?
The meeting started with a short quiz – see how well you do. (All the questions relate to the geographical area of North End Road from Fulham Road to West Kensington unless stated otherwise.)
1. How many shops/businesses are there in North End Road? |
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a) 250 |
b) 290 |
c) 320 |
2. How many betting, pawn and credit shops are there in the stretch of North End Road between the Broadway at the junction of Fulham Road and West Kensington? |
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a) 11 |
b) 17 |
c) 21 |
3. How many vacant shops are there in North End Road? |
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a) 17 |
b) 22 |
c) 26 |
4. How old is North End Road Market? |
||
a) 110 years old |
b) 140 years old |
c) 170 years old |
5. What is the most common type of business in North End Road? |
||
a) Restaurants, cafes and fast food |
b) Grocery and food shops |
c) Health and beauty shops |
And the answers are:
1. |
b - 290 |
2. |
c - 21 |
3. |
c - 26 |
4. |
b - The market started in the 1880s, so it's nearly 140 years old. |
5. |
a - Restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets. There are 46, which is nearly one in five of all businesses (17.6%). |
