An application by Sainsbury's to take over a franchised mini-market on West End Lane has excited what the West Hampstead Life blog calls:
The usual comments about the destruction of the character of West End Lane, the replacement of independent shops with chains, and the swamping of the neighbourhood with supermarkets.
It adds:
I think it is debatable whether replacing a franchised mini-market with a large-brand mini-market is particularly a bad thing, although it does serve to further homogenise the high street.
And here's a thought for all members of the sorts of Londoner who abhor the vulgarisation of their imaginary "village communities" yet buy all their books from Amazon:
My request from this blog is simple: by all means berate the homogenisation of West End Lane, and by all means let your local councillors know your views on the matter (although remember that at the most basic level there's little they can do to prevent individual shops from moving into existing retail units), but above all if you do believe in maintaining some independent shops in West Hampstead then please use them from time to time.
Quite right. The same applies in Hackney.
