In the last couple of weeks I've had three separate conversations with people wanted to set up quality businesses in Forest Hill. In each case they found it very difficult to contact landlords and then what the potential tenants regarded as unreasonable demands from them; 1 year's payment in advance, maintaining the roof of the property, contracts lasting for 2 years or more, or just exceptionally high rents (higher than Lordship Lane was one comparison made).
As a result businesses are looking elsewhere or simply not being set up in the first place. We still have a number of empty units up Dartmouth Road and on Perry Vale, all of which are a waste of useful retail space.
What can be done to encourage landlords to bring businesses into their empty shops? And why is it so easy for new hairdressers to get established while it is so much harder for any other businesses.
In fairness there are a number of new businesses opened and opening that have managed to find a suitable site for their businesses, but despite the number of empty shops it appears that demand is greater than supply!
Does anybody have experience from other areas what can be done to address this issue?