Shop vacancy study misleading

Today (Tuesday), the research company released its latest national report on empty shops which says Wandsworth Town has a high proportion of vacant retail units.

However, the report fails to mention that dozens of shops in Southside Shopping Centre have been deliberately emptied as an entire wing of the building is about to redeveloped. The shops have been taken off the rental market but were counted as 'vacant' by the LDC survey.

Elsewhere in the shopping centre and throughout the rest of the town centre the vacancy rate is below the London average and improving.

Wandsworth Council's business spokesman Cllr James Cousins said:

"Once again the LDC has ignored the most basic of local factors and portrayed a successful, busy shopping area as among the country's worst. The report only tells half the story and is extremely damaging to the town centre's reputation.

"The council and the local business community have worked hard to successfully regenerate Wandsworth Town and transform it into one of south London 's most popular retail venues. It's incredibly frustrating to see that work undermined by a misleading and incomplete survey which could deter new investors.

"The companies that pay for this so called 'market intelligence' should come to see Wandsworth Town for themselves. A quick glance down the high street and a walk through the shopping centre will demonstrate how absurd this report's findings really are."

Wandsworth Town is part way through a £1bn regeneration programme led by the private sector.

Recent arrivals in the shopping centre include TopShop, TK Maxx, New Look, Robert Dyas, Costa Coffee and Republic.

Waitrose, Gap, River Island, Starbucks, Cineworld, Virgin Active, H&M, Game, Next, Boots, Oliver Bonas, Nandos, Caffe Nero, Ekachai and WH Smiths are among Southside's long-standing tenants.

The next phase of the shopping centre's redevelopment programme is set to begin in the next few weeks. A new 33,000 square foot area will be created along Garratt Lane and major names including Cattle Grid and Wagamama have already been secured to occupy the new units.

More information on Wandsworth Town is available on the council's website.