Exclusive: TEDDINGTON SOCIETY RAISES ‘CHEAP AND GARISH’ LOOK OF NEW VAPE SHOP
The Teddington Society has formally intervened in the plans for the opening of a new vape shop in the High Street, Teddington Town has learned today.
They have raised the ‘cheap and garish’ fascia of the shop with Richmond council as well as the ‘visual deterioration’ of Teddington’s High Street.
On its website, it states: “The longstanding Cavan bakery shop on Teddington High Street is being replaced by a Phone & Vape Shop to the horror of many members.”
The Society told Teddington Town: “There are two strands to this – one is stopping the visual deterioration of the High Street and our conservation areas by the conversion of the front of the shops using cheap and garish materials.
“The other is the limiting of shops such as ‘phone and vape’ type shops as there are already 3 in Broad Street.
“We have already put in an application to Richmond Council’s planning enforcement about the fascia and have had an acknowledgment that they will investigate.
“The main reasons are the unacceptability of the material and lighting of the new fascia in a conservation area, the proximity to a Grade II listed building and the non-compliance with the Council’s Shopfronts Supplementary Planning Guidance.
“The other issue is a phone and vape shop on the High Street – our prime conservation area.
“It’s all part of the general deterioration of the High Street in particular and our retail streets in general.
“We have already had messages from members about the proximity of a vape shop to Awesome Studios, which a lot of children use.
“So, in short we have already contacted the Council about the look of the new shop and we intend to ask the Council what they can do to stop the deterioration of our shopping streets.”