Nimby snobs not putting their money where their mouths are

[Kermit power]

Evening all,

Some forms of nimbyism are completely understandable. Nobody wants to suddenly find a dual carriageway at the bottom of their previously idyllic garden, of course, but this sort of story just leaves me perplexed...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-67370...

The sensible council hasn't given in to them, but when someone petitioned for change of use of a shop that had been standing vacant on Cobham High Street to open a tattoo parlour, almost 100 local residents lodged complaints, with a variety of snobbish comments, including one guy bemoaning the loss of a valuable retail property. A valuable retail property so coveted and sought after that it had stood vacant for 18 months!!!

We've seen similar near us... "Oh no, a fried chicken takeaway joint just isn't right for our High Street! We should have a nice exclusive deli specialising in Mediterranean produce!" Then what happens when someone does open that deli? Yup. It goes out of business because the nimbys who looked down their noses at the notion of a fried chicken joint just didn't spend enough money at the deli to make it a going concern!

Surely thriving businesses on the High Street have to be better than properties just standing vacant?

[Sheets Tabuer]

Yes but a ghastly tattoo parlour will have those terrible people with grey JD tracksuits and XL bullies, whatever next, a vape shop?

[okgo]

I’d rather an empty building than a tattoo parlour to be fair if I lived somewhere like Cobham. Cobham isn’t really the sort of place that would suit that. I know the bit near Portsmouth road is council but they surely can go to Hersham for their lower class body scarification?

Source - I worked in Cobham for 2 years and a mate owns a business on the high street.

[BananaFama]

Cobham isn't all that good ,it's Esher with more footballers hanging around .

[Zetec-S]

okgo said:

I’d rather an empty building than a tattoo parlour to be fair if I lived somewhere like Cobham. Cobham isn’t really the sort of place that would suit that. I know the bit near Portsmouth road is council but they surely can go to Hersham for their lower class body scarification?

Source - I worked in Cobham for 2 years and a mate owns a business on the high street.

I just had a quick look on Google Streetview, what a miserable soulless high street, I hardly think a tattoo parlour is going to drag it down any further.

[Dog Star]

My parents have some friends in Frinton-on-Sea. A chip shop - heavens above!!!!! - opened there. They were all up in arms about it.

They do actually use said chip shop though - they order by phone and slink in to collect it.

[Roofless Toothless]

Frinton famously didn’t allow any pubs for years. The first was in 2000.

[boxy but good]

Roofless Toothless said:

Frinton famously didn’t allow any pubs for years. The first was in 2000.

As they say in Suffolk, " Felixstowe for the continent, Frinton for the incontinent " !

[okgo]

Zetec-S said:

I just had a quick look on Google Streetview, what a miserable soulless high street, I hardly think a tattoo parlour is going to drag it down any further.

It’s fairly nice. Lots of cafes, pub or two, and Ivy brassiere, Waitrose, Gail’s, Coppa, Pret, Joe and the Juice, Fired Earth - all chains but pleasant ones and basically unheard of in some cases to exist in a small setting like that. Not sure it could be called miserable and soulless. It isn’t Sloane Street but equally it’s much more pleasant than most large village high streets.

Edited by okgo on Thursday 9th November 22:47

[Alickadoo]

Kermit power said:

Evening all,

Some forms of nimbyism are completely understandable. Nobody wants to suddenly find a dual carriageway at the bottom of their previously idyllic garden, of course, but this sort of story just leaves me perplexed...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-67370...

The sensible council hasn't given in to them, but when someone petitioned for change of use of a shop that had been standing vacant on Cobham High Street to open a tattoo parlour, almost 100 local residents lodged complaints, with a variety of snobbish comments, including one guy bemoaning the loss of a valuable retail property. A valuable retail property so coveted and sought after that it had stood vacant for 18 months!!!

We've seen similar near us... "Oh no, a fried chicken takeaway joint just isn't right for our High Street! We should have a nice exclusive deli specialising in Mediterranean produce!" Then what happens when someone does open that deli? Yup. It goes out of business because the nimbys who looked down their noses at the notion of a fried chicken joint just didn't spend enough money at the deli to make it a going concern!

Surely thriving businesses on the High Street have to be better than properties just standing vacant?

We don't want tattoo parlours in Cobham. They attract council types.

Edited by Alickadoo on Friday 10th November 07:32

[Kermit power]

okgo said:

I’d rather an empty building than a tattoo parlour to be fair if I lived somewhere like Cobham. Cobham isn’t really the sort of place that would suit that. I know the bit near Portsmouth road is council but they surely can go to Hersham for their lower class body scarification?

Source - I worked in Cobham for 2 years and a mate owns a business on the high street.

How many empty shops does it take to change your mind? Three? Ten? All of them?

[okgo]

Kermit power said:

How many empty shops does it take to change your mind? Three? Ten? All of them?

. Clearly the high street is doing fine given Gail’s and Joe&Juice are new openings. 18 months in this economic climate also isn’t a long time. Doubt it’ll sit for another 18?

Small places with a certain vibe I do see why people would rather nothing than what is the calling card of a chav crowd. Ironically probably do a bit of business with all the white range river crowd in the area.

[i4got]

Should do well in Cobham given the number of tattooed millionaire footballers living around there.

[Dr Murdoch]

i4got said:

Should do well in Cobham given the number of tattooed millionaire footballers living around there.

Which is what the applicant might well be thinking.

[xx99xx]

Zetec-S said:

I just had a quick look on Google Streetview, what a miserable soulless high street, I hardly think a tattoo parlour is going to drag it down any further.

I wouldn't call it miserable or soulless, even just from looking at street view. There are far far worse high streets about.

What's your idea of a happy soulful high street, out of interest?

[W124Bob]

Sheets Tabuer said:

Yes but a ghastly tattoo parlour will have those terrible people with grey JD tracksuits and XL bullies, whatever next, a vape shop?

Well in my neighbourhood it will be the Mumsnet brigade providing most of the custom, just be grateful it wasn't a firework shop!

[poo at Paul's]

TBH I think quite a few of those empty shops that open with something like a barbers, tatoo place, tanning etc, are money laundering fronts. A town can only have so many car washes, afterall....

[otolith]

Well, if the area is as averse to the idea of tattoos as the good burghers believe, it will soon fold and they can have another charity shop or chain restaurant instead.

[P-Jay]

[quote]I’d rather an empty building than a tattoo parlour to be fair if I lived somewhere like Cobham. Cobham isn’t really the sort of place that would suit that. I know the bit near Portsmouth road is council but they surely can go to Hersham for their lower class body scarification?

Source - I worked in Cobham for 2 years and a mate owns a business on the high street.
[/quote]

This really is it isn't it? Some people would rather live in a 'British faux 1950s Village' Theme Park with painted shop fronts than live in the real world.

If no one in Cobham would ever even think about anything as ghastly as a Tattoo, it'll close in weeks and there's nothing to worry about, or perhaps some local people do actually like Tattoos and it won't.

[HTP99]

P-Jay][quote said:

I’d rather an empty building than a tattoo parlour to be fair if I lived somewhere like Cobham. Cobham isn’t really the sort of place that would suit that. I know the bit near Portsmouth road is council but they surely can go to Hersham for their lower class body scarification?

Source - I worked in Cobham for 2 years and a mate owns a business on the high street.

This really is it isn't it? Some people would rather live in a 'British faux 1950s Village' Theme Park with painted shop fronts than live in the real world.

If no one in Cobham would ever even think about anything as ghastly as a Tattoo, it'll close in weeks and there's nothing to worry about, or perhaps some local people do actually like Tattoos and it won't.

Funny some peoples views on tattoo's, I work in Weybridge so Cobham area, have done for 20 odd years, knowing what the people are like, the kind of money around this area and who has it, I think a high end tattoo parlour in Cobham would do a roaring trade