Greenwich is not your average town centre. But as its traders fight rising rents and big-name chain stores, many fear it could lose its identity. GLENN EBREY reports.

TAKE a stroll down most high streets these days and you will be greeted with pretty much the same sight.

Most of our shopping centres are dominated by chain stores, interspersed with the odd take-away shop and burger joint.

Independent traders, it seems, are a dying breed, struggling to compete against multi- nationals and their hefty chequebooks.

But there is still the odd place which bucks the trend, where smaller traders thrive and shoppers can expect something a little different.

Greenwich is a case in point.

Situated within a Unesco World Heritage Site, the town centre is a picture of diversity.

It has an intimate, village-like feel, with dozens of small butchers, bakers and, quite possibly, candle-stick makers, combined with art galleries, diverse restaurants and cosy pubs.

But traders fear the Greenwich "village" could be under threat.

In recent years, rents in the town centre have increased by up to 75 per cent.

Landowner The Greenwich Hospital trust is also considering drastic proposals to bulldoze Greenwich Market.

Ian Johns is joint owner of vintage clothes shop The Observatory, in Greenwich Church Street.

He said: "The thing I am concerned about is the town keeps its identity and individuality.

"There are plenty of places in London which have an homogenous feeling.

"We do not want Greenwich to be one of them."

Mr Johns says the future of his store is reasonably secure but he admits he is worried about the bigger picture.

He added: "It should not just be about squeezing every piece of money at the expense of every piece of personality.

"Hopefully the landlords can see this too.

"We need to keep the village feel alive. It would be terrible if Greenwich became just another town."

In January, News Shopper reported how Greenwich Hospital had published a masterplan for Greenwich.

This included radical plans to build a large block of flats on the current Greenwich Market site.

The hospital has also refused to rule out the possibilty of bringing more chain stores into the area.

But Elaine Marshall, who runs gallery Greenwich Printmakers, says more needs to be done to ensure the survival of smaller outlets.

She said: "Greenwich makes you feel nostalgic for the good old days when people were not quite so greedy."

Masterplan

THE Greenwich Hospital trust a charity established more than 300 years ago owns most of the land in the town centre, including the market.

Director John Chadwick claims it "seeks to negotiate fair rents with its tenants".

He says the masterplan will result in a proposal which is "beneficial to all interested parties" and "preserves retail diversity".

Seeking to reassure traders, Mr Chadwick told News Shopper: "We are trying to invest in Greenwich in the most approriate way.

"We want to establish what the character of Greenwich is and go from there."

Mr Chadwick also denied claims the market is set to be demolished, adding the hospital's aim is to improve core properties in the town centre.

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