Loss of Village Resources

Yesterday I dragged my better half along to the organic community garden in the next village. I had been flicking through some recipes as I had some haddock that I was going to cook for lunch to make a soup with. This had reminded me that I had wanted to go there to see if I could get some artichokes. As I knew they were growing them, I thought I could buy some there. Well my timing was off as just last week they had harvested them and made a large batch of soup. Just what I was planning too. There were still a few so I was not leaving empty handed, but a few more would have been better.

Also while there, I asked about the local greengrocers. I had visited this just two weeks ago and I had been surprised to see that it was closed when I went by on Wednesday. I discovered that it had closed down.

I had only visited the place twice myself as it requires a walk through the wood to get there, or an expensive bus ride. Short journeys on the buses are expensive here. But I had wanted to use and support the place. What surprised me though, was that they couple running the place said nothing about closing the place down. Yet while I was there it was clear they were packing and leaving. I have discovered today that they have walked away leaving debts etc, so perhaps they did not want to say anything to me for fear of getting caught. There was I talking to them about returning regularly and even asking if they were willing to order for me some of the more unusual items.

Twenty years ago in my village there were many little shops, now half of them have been converted to housing units, and remain empty, while the remaining shop units are empty and boarded up. It makes the village feel run down. But the problem is that the owners of these properties have killed much of the businesses by demanding rents that are unsustainable.

I have often spoken about the silly rents that some of the landlords are trying to charge for homes here, and that they remain empty as a result. Well its even worse for retail and commercial property. While there will always be companies and businesses that can make it work in prime city centre locations, in small communities where the where the level of trade is limited by the size of the community, small businesses can not afford to pay rents similar to that of the city centre.

that has the effect of making communities moribund and run down. While it is possible to go and visit towns and cities for food shopping etc, it takes money out of the community and when there are difficulties like the harsh winter we have just had, where it was difficult to get supplies, how are small communities supposed to cope then?

All of the local shops in and around my village survive by by selling alcohol, in vast quantities and to under age drinkers, creating other problems. But often it is only because of the high rents and overinflated property values that these problems occur in the first place.