Setback to town centre recovery: Sainsbury’s Local in Barnet High Street is to close
Barnet High Street is to lose one of its convenience stores — the Sainsbury’s Local at 146 High Street is to close later this year.
Sainsbury’s said the closure had been a “difficult decision” and the company recognised that this would be an unsettling time for the staff.
All possible support would be offered to those affected and every effort would be made to explore alternative roles for them within Sainsbury’s.
News of Sainsbury’s departure from the High Street follows the loss earlier this year of Harry’s traditional butchers and fishmongers and the imminent closure of the zero waste shop Kronos and Rhea, suppliers of specialist foods.
The company hoped customers would continue to shop with Sainsbury’s at its superstores at New Barnet and Potters Bar and other nearby sites.
Closure of the convenience store will result in the loss of another High Street cash machine – on top of the recent loss of cash machines outside former branches of the banks HSBC and TSB.
No indication was given by the company as to the precise reason for the closure but the owners of neighbouring shops in the High Street say there had been a recent rent review.
The long opening hours of Sainsbury Locals – from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week – were extremely costly and there was said to be insufficient demand in Barnet High Street, especially during evenings, to justify retaining the store.
No date was given by Sainsbury’s for the closure, but nearby retailers thought it would probably cease trading in July.
When ownership of the premises changed hands in 2017 the sale document for the store and flats above indicated that Sainsbury’s had a five-year lease expiring in September 2022 and would pay an annual rent of £92,000.
Sainsbury’s withdrawal from High Barnet will be seen as a setback in view of efforts to boost the town centre following loss of trade during the Covid.19 pandemic and social distancing regulations.
High Barnet retains a Tesco Express at 64 High Street and the Waitrose supermarket in The Spires shopping centre.
Shoppers were reassured earlier this month with the news that Waitrose had extended its lease in the shopping centre for another 20 years.
Sainsbury’s departure from the High Street will bring back memories of earlier Sainsbury’s stores in Barnet.
The premises to be vacated were for a time a M & S food store but it too failed to pay its way and was closed.
In recent years there have been some pretty dramatic changes in the nature of High Street retail units — the latest example is that from June the former Bentley car showroom will become an outlet for London Essex Outdoor Living, selling among other items, hydro pool spas, hot tubs, and outdoor kitchens.
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This was not really about parking and it was not about the council. There are hard facts at work here. (Rant warning – I will get carried away writing about this).
Sainsbury’s small store problems have as reported included reduced sales particularly out of normal shopping hours. This comes in a climate when retail unit rental costs are again being jacked up mercilessly and to my mind with mind-numbing stupidity. It doesn’t take genius to work out even modest rental/lease increases would make a significant proportion of shops financially unviable and in this case a nice £92,000 PA suddenly vanishing.
However High Barnet as any sort of high street shopping centre would be ANNIHILATED without parking. It needs a bigger customer base than just those who can walk, cycle or bus to it.
There are huge gaps between suburban bus routes despite Transport for London’s imaginative take on geography and often poor connections between them. Given the distance between suburban infrastructure, including comprehensive high street shopping centres, the suburbs will always need some mix of public and private transport
For instance Hadley Highstone has lost its bus connection to both High Barnet and Potters Bar, or indeed anywhere else in the world. When TfL are being realistic (in hushed tones out of earshot of City Hall) crippling loses of further London bus services are considered inevitable under any likely funding scenario from any likely government. The term “managed decline” has even reached the ears and mouth of the Mayor, although not in the context it was first whispered as inevitable over the next five to ten years.
One person’s regularly trodden mile or so can be another’s more objective third of a mile. It is great when people maintain self–propelled mobility and full engagement in public debate past biblical life expectancy. Both come curtesy of the post first edition bible miracles of luck, clean water and medicine that come with motorised transport as gifts of the modern world. Obviously somethings seem to never change – business is still thriving for the Five Horseman of the Apocalypse (everyone forgets the most powerful, Mr Kaos). Trust me: sooner or later, one way or another self–propelled mobility can and usually does disappear overnight. It can do so at any age.
For many geography and physical capability mean a daily shop on foot or bike or dragging a shopping trolley is not an option. For the same people a weekly shop by the same means is a complete fantasy. Are an ever-increasing number of people expected to only venture to their front door to accept deliveries of prepackaged unseen goods?
The challenge is not to imagine diametrically opposed “car” free roads or a free for all carmageddon, both would bring misery to too many people. Instead it needs a realistic approach between the two. It IS what we will end up with. The challenge is to make it work without people being chewed up by extreme policies from either side of the argument.
Not sure who you are Debbie,did you always get to park in the High Street?
Is a loss of c.12 parking spaces the reason why you drift around looking for free parking?Did you only shop in High Barnet because somehow by magic you could park ,free of course!
Sorry the pavement widening inconveniences your sacred right to park.You may ponder on the civilised space created and the safer cycling,no longer a kamikaze route,but somehow I doubt you are bothered.
Have you ever thought about not driving everywhere,did you know lots of buses go to Barnet and you can even walk there?Lots of luck driving round for free parking (average motor car cost now 45p per mile).
I live a mile or so from the Town Centre and walk or cycle age 74.
Off you go to Whetstone..
Dennis Bird
Well the Council can pat themselves on their backs for destroying High Barnet shopping as they contributed to its demise by the stupid pavement widening meaning very little parking. I used to shop in the High Street but don’t bother any more. If there is a parking spot there are at least three or four bikes parked servicing home delivery. NCP a joke – I go to Whetstone, M&S, Waitrose, Boots, coffee shops AND free parking. Well done Barnet, love to know how much your great scheme cost is tax payers….. you were warned at the time.