NEWS
2 MAY 2025 ASIAN TRADER 7
NEWS
The debate around low trafc
neighbourhoods (LTNs) has
become increasingly polarised.
For many independent
retailers, the prospect of
restricting vehicle access near
their shops initially triggers
alarm bells. After all, conven-
tional wisdom suggests that
cars equal customers.
But what if this assumption
is fundamentally flawed?
Our latest High Street
Matters podcast reveals a more
nuanced and ultimately more
optimistic picture. In both
London and Birmingham, we’ve
discovered how thoughtfully
implemented LTNs can breathe
new life into struggling high
streets.
Take Wandsworth Bridge
Road in London. Prior to the
creation of adjacent LTNs, it was
a thoroughfare, with 80% of
vehicles merely passing
through rather than stopping to
shop. The creation of adjacent
LTNs provided changed things.
An annual street fair now
attracts 20,000 visitors, and
parklets have transformed the
pedestrian experience. What
was once just a congested road is
a destination where people
linger – and spend.
In Birmingham’s Kings
Heath, the pedestrianisation of
York Road has transformed a
rat-run into what Henry
Poultney of Grace and James
wine shop describes as having
“almost a holiday strip”
atmosphere. His business has
pivoted from being primarily
retail to focusing 75% on
hospitality, with outdoor
seating creating a continental
café culture.
But these success stories
come with important caveats.
Both demonstrate half-meas-
ures don’t work – simply
blocking a road without
additional investment in the
streetscape leaves an unfin-
ished project. As Natalie Lindsay
from the Wandsworth Bridge
Road Association put it, “The
places that have fallen foul are
places where the councils have
tweaked rather than trans-
formed.”
This gets to the heart of what
makes an LTN succeed or fail for
local businesses. The critical
factor isn’t the trafc reduction
itself – it’s whether the scheme
places the high street at its
centre.
Too often, councils imple-
ment LTNs with narrow
objectives focused solely on
reducing vehicle numbers or
improving air quality. These are
worthy goals, but they miss
tremendous opportunities.
For LTNs to work for
independent retailers, they
need three key ingredients:
First, ambition. Piecemeal
approaches that merely
displace trafc create more
problems than they solve.
Councils must think bigger,
with comprehensive plans of
transformation.
Second, integration. High
streets must be at the heart of
these plans, not an after-
thought. This means involving
local traders early on.
Third, completion. Half-fin-
ished schemes with temporary
barriers and minimal streets-
cape improvements fail to
create the environment that
attracts customers.
The evidence suggests that
when done properly, LTNs can
create vibrant, people-focused
spaces where independent
businesses thrive. But this only
happens when local authorities
work hand-in-hand with the
business community.
In his regular column, Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre argues that fewer
cars can mean more footfall and improved sales
Beyond cars – how low
Beyond cars – how low
trafc neighbourhoods can
trafc neighbourhoods can
revitalise our high streets
revitalise our high streets
Parfetts expands fresh
Parfetts expands fresh
and chilled range
and chilled range
The wholesaler has grown its fresh
and chilled ofer to over 500 lines
in-depot and online, attracting 900
customers. It expects to more than
double the number of customers over
the next months, with over 2,000
customers ordering regularly. A key
part of this strategy is a bespoke
partnership with Eden Farm.
Retailers can access thousands of
additional lines through the partner-
ship to increase the availability. The
products cater to diverse needs,
including dairy, desserts, meats, and
plant-based options. Parfetts
customers also benefit from
preferential delivery agreements.
InPost announces strategic
InPost announces strategic
takeover of Yodel
takeover of Yodel
Logistics and e-commerce specialists
InPost has taken a bold leap forward
in the UK market. With the acquisition
of Yodel – one of the UK’s largest
parcel delivery companies – InPost
becomes the third-largest agnostic
logistics player in the country. The
move should dramatically accelerate
growth and redefine UK delivery by
integrating out-of-home and to-door
solutions under one brand.
The acquisition further consoli-
dates InPost’s leading position in the
UK e-commerce delivery market. By
combining the largest out-of-home
network with Yodel’s strong home
delivery capabilities, InPost will scale
its operations.
Co-op Wholesale:
Co-op Wholesale:
£800,000 into key
£800,000 into key
own-brand lines
own-brand lines
Co-op Wholesale has announcead an
£800k investment into the wholesale
selling price of key own brand lines,
reinforcing its support for retailers
across high-volume, essential
products. This move will see it double
the range of key Co-op own brand
products with a strong focus on
competitive pricing, increasing the key
lines selection from 50 to over 100 lines.
The investment aims to ofer
retailers even more everyday
essentials at improved value. Lines
have had an average 3% reduction in
wholesale selling price, with some as
much as a 18.5%.
By Andrew
Goodacre, CEO
of Bira (British
Independent
Retailers
Association)