29.04.14 | Lisa Campbell - The BooksellerThe landlords, CP Holdings and Burning Issue Ltd, have submitted a planning application to Richmond Council to demolish the “charming wooden building” which houses the bookshop and replace it with brick, building a new second level above the shop to double the retail space.
The petition asks signatories to say that they “strongly oppose Planning Application and any other plan” by the landlords that would change Kew Village “into a retail environment of chain stores and multi-national firms”. A deadline of 1st June has been given for signing the petition.
Isla Dawes, the owner of The Kew Bookshop, which turns over £300,000 a year, on top of its schools business, said: "The charm of these buildings is their wooden structure. They have stood for almost a century. If the shop was reclad, it would stand for another 100 years."
Dawes, who also owns bookshops in Sheen and Barnes, told The Bookseller: "If the planning application went through, I could not afford the rent on the new double-storey premises, so I would have to close that shop. The point I would like to make is that it is not long since we lost the Lion and Unicorn Bookshop nearby in Richmond due to landlord greed. How many more good independent bookshops are we going to lose because of this?"
More
RELATED STORIES
- Baldacci YA novel in London hotel promoDavid Baldacci’s The ...
- Waterstones' Skipper on the upWaterstones’ Kate Ski...
- Foyles unveils further fixtures for flagshipFoyles’ new flagship ...
- WH Smith official Guildford Festival booksellerW H Smith will be the offic....
No comments:
Post a Comment