A FLORIST in West Greenwich has shut its doors after ten years.
La Fleur on Royal Hill closed for good on September 1st. The florist-cum-tea shop was this week selling off its catering equipment and emptying the shop.
A notice in the window said:
“We would like to thank our most loyal and wonderful customers who have shared this decade with us – our own extended ‘family.’
“We will remember you with fondness and love.”
Another local independent business has also announced its impending closure.
A sign has gone up in the window of Stitches & Daughters telling customers that the “lifestyle boutique” is to close this “Autumn/Winter.” A sign in the shop window reads:
“It’s difficult to run a small independent business under the best of conditions, and the past couple of years have been challenging… the current economic conditions have prompted me to pursue my business ambitions in an alternative direction.”
A planning application has been submitted to Greenwich Council for permission to change the shop at 3 Greenwich South Street into an estate agents.
The flower shop on Roysl Hill will re open in a week or two, they just did not want to renew the lease. It’s a prime location and would always be snapped up quick.
@Michael – really? what is it reopening as? I hope its something decent, i.e. not a Coral etc…
I always thought that Stitches & Daughters was in the wrong location for that type of store. Its too hard to get to for the passing trade from the station to the town centre.
I also noticed quite a few closed units in the market at the weekend. There was a mens clothes shop whose name escapes me now, think it was the The Good Ship or something, which has sadly closed. The Olympics cant have helped.
yes, the Good Ship has closed – he found it busy on weekends, dead on other days. He decided to so so well before the Olympics – which was disastrous for most stallholders.
La Fleur is, at some point, being bulldozed, or rather the one-storey portion is, in order to build it higher and put a flat above it in a mock-Victorian style. Greenwich Council passed the plan despite several objections.
I’ll miss La Fleur, altho that’s always been a hard site to make work, as it’s small and the lease restricted it to a flower shop only. I have heard of someone good hoping to take over the lease, fingers crossed that it happens.
Re Stitches and Daughters becoming an Estate Agent – can we object? Greenwich is being plagued by estate agents, just like Deptford is being plagued by bookies.
DOn’t worry, Greenwich Council is always there to help small businesses.
Like the enforcement officer, who went to La Fleur, Creaky Shed etc and told them to remove all those horrible flowers and baskets of vegetables from the pavement.
Let’s face it, it’s so much more attractive if the street is full of burger wrappers and crushed Costa cups.
Yes, you can oblect – and please do. Click on the website link in the head story and follow through to ‘consultation’, click ‘without a reference’ state your objection and it is all done for you.
Oh for god’s sake. We’ve already got Felicity Lord, Feliks Augustine, Humphreys Skitt, Conran Estates and John Payne within spitting distance – what on earth can another estate agent bring to that corner? Thanks for the link, Richard – I’ve put in my ha’porth.
Agree with Fatty about Stitches, sadly. Just on the wrong side of the road for passing tourist traffic – and the barriers during the Games won’t have helped. A shame too about La Fleur. Talking about those Royal Hill Shops, has any decision ever been made about the former veg shop between Drings and the Cheese Board? Seems such a wasted opportunity.
I think the downfall of La Fleur was their reluctance to actually sell anything. On more than one occasion I have tried to buy plants which were in the window only to be told, with a look of astonishment and incomprehension, that the stuff in the window isn’t actually for sale.
An interesting concept for a shop, don’t you think?
Perhaps it will become a Foxtons…
On the positive side, there is a new Cafe opening where ‘Nice N Cheap’ is by Sainsburys on Greenwich High Road. Their plans look nice, and its to be called Plumtree Cafe I believe. Good luck to them!
I may be wrong but I was under the impression that the empty shop between the Cheeseboard and Drings is in such a state of disrepair that it doesnt make sense to refurbish it. I quite like teh look of the new cafe on eth approach to the DLR. Certainly different!
Great shame about Stitches and Daughters. It’s a lovely little shop and Jo is lovely too.
My understanding is that La Fleur is closing because the owners are retiring, which gave the leaseholder the chance to do the extension.
And the little shop between Drings and the Cheeseboard was, if memory serves, refused permission to extend (either back or down, can’t remember which) and the existing premises are too small to justify the expense of a refurb.
Sorry – I was (sort of) wrong about 24 Royal Hill, between Drings and the Cheeseboard. Planning permission in 2005 was refused, but a new application in August 2010 was approved, with 12 conditions, nine of which required further approvals.
The 2010 application was for “Construction of a single storey rear extension, excavation of basement, installation of replacement window to front roof slope, new shop front including an awning and additional uses on the site to include A2 and B1.”
A2 use is for “Financial and Professional Services,” which includes “Banks, building societies, estate and employment agencies, Professional and financial services, betting offices.” B2 use is for “Business”, which includes “Offices not within A2, Research and development studios, laboratories, high tech, Light industry”.
The ‘Submission of details pursuant’ to the nine conditions were submitted in June this year; so far three have been approved.
Unfortunately, the 2010 planning application documents are not available (typical of Greenwich Council’s crap planning portal), but the submission of details purusant applications are.
So, it looks like we should expect works to start soon – but that we’re not going to get another Royal Hill Lovely on the site…
Shame about Stitches and Daughters but agree it wasn’t the best location. Wonder if Bert & Betty will be next for the same reason?
I must admit to having never been in La Fleur – it looked so small and cramped that I always passed it by in favour of Buenos Aires and the (not exactly roomy)Royal Teas. When is this new cafe to open where Nice and Cheap is then?
We can’t have any more estate agents surely. They are only one step up from bookmakers!
Can bookies open under “Financial and Professional Services” / A2 use?
How about a lap dancing club?…..(see earliers about the Woolwich Road).
Yes. Although I think Royal Hill is unlikely to be as attractive to bookies as it would be to estate agents…
Yes, and the ridiculous hooplala involved in getting permission to paint the name of one’s shop, the hideous so-called “heritage” palette of colours required, no wonder the the tex-mex themed establishments in the town centre just decided to throw away the rule book and go a bit MAAAAD.
Can understand the back-lash about the estate agents taking over S&D but should point out that it’s not ‘yet another estate agent’ setting up but an already established local independent agent, Turner Lane, who is applying to move office down the road. Its certainly not a twee gift shop or family run store (there just isn’t the regular custom for them in that location as S&D has sadly admitted) but at least its not a dirty great multi-national chain or franchise? I’d rather a small independent business, run by local people, have a chance than, say, a betting shop, fast food place, or corporate chain, because lets face it, Greenwich Council couldnt act quick enough to hand over the pier building to Nandos, Zizzi, Byron – all the faceless multinational companies with the big money to flash rather than independent restaurants. Residents should support local businesses, not run them out of town because they don’t think it is what they necessarily personally require on a high street.
Thanks for the information, Kate. But to be honest, as a local resident, I’m not rushing into estate agents that frequently – the last time I went into one was Humphrey Skitt’s when I bought my flat nearly 20 years ago! It’s more the proliferation of just one type of business in such a confined area that I think is odd. I wish Turner Lane luck…
I just do not get this anti estate agent vibe. They employ people to provide a service that is clearly in demand. If there was no demand there would be fewer estate agents. There do not appear to be any anto social behaviours that one would asscoiate with a bookies, pub or cheapo fast food vendor. I only wish someone would open a proper gym/health club in West Greenwich.
I believe there’s a gym and health club just opened on Greenwich High Road just opposite the Golden Chippy/Shop…
“I just do not get this anti estate agent vibe.”
No, Richard, you wouldn’t.
Ahh I see Franklin they are responsible for making house prices unaffordable? Wake up mate they supply a demand. They employ people and lets be honest they facilitate the payment of billions of pounds worth of tax. If you have an issue with the UK property obsession and the insane cost of housing in London then find a baby boomer and shout at them. Infact you should run in to plenty at your beloved Greenwich Society meetings.
Yep, Pure Gym opening next week. Looks to be good value too. Shame there’s no pool.