I was shocked and disgusted today by certain traders on Hill Road displaying campaigning posters in their windows against a charity shop opening up on Hill Rd. In an economy where public funding is being pulled for important services such as hospices I find it very poor taste to read that charities have big budgets to put into charity shops, somehow I don't think that the Weston Hospice is really in that category. In my opinion, a shop that sells items to raise money to support people suffering and coming to the end of their lives deserves to be supported. There is no reason why a charity shop has to lower the tone of a shopping area if it sells the right kind of items and it sounds like the shop will be selling designer gear which will be in keeping, however it also seems the retailers are worried that the charity shop will steal business from them. Have they considered the fact that in this economy people have less disposable income and therefore if they save money shopping in charity shops they may be able to spend more on non essential items like those sold on Hill Road.
I also understand that many of the shops on Hill Road are owned and joint owned by the same people, maybe there should be a petition against this! I feel their hostility against charity shops and their bullying attitude is very territorial and I shall be boycotting those shops displaying the sensationally written poster with its ridiculous claims.

having spoken to many of the shop owners in Hill Road perhaps vplumfairy might like to consider the following and maybe they too might like to talk to the shop owners in order to gain a balanced view of what is I agree a controversial subject. The shops in Hill Rod are not against the particular charity shop that is opening and they are not trying to stop it opening. They are simply calling upon our government to introduce legislation that will put a cap (nationwide) on the number of charity shops allowed to open in any one area/town. They are not the first town in the UK to call for such a Cap. There are countless examples of towns and high streets throughout the UK that have been ruined by the influx of charity shops. Hill Road in particular is a very special road. For generations it has been a vibrant street full of local independents and surely we as the community should be supporting these shops especially in the econmic climate we live in at present. The shops in HIll Road bring thousands of visitors from outside of Clevedon all of whom spend their money in the town and contribute to our local economy. The shops create jobs for the local community (unlike the charity shops who "employ" volunteers) and they make the surrounding area a lovely place to live. But if more charity shops move in (and they are trying) the independents will not survive. The ripples from this will be far reaching and will affect residents just as much as businesses. These guys have every right to protect their businesses - after all they are only trying to make a living. We are not talking about big corporates here, just small local traders. As for comments about multiple shops being owned by the same people - if this is true then good luck to them for being entreprenuerial and taking a risk. What we need is more like them. Come on Clevedon, get behind these shops.

The arrivial of charity shops in this case does not indicate a dying retail area. The premises concerned was vacant due to Murray's consolidating their business into one unit rather than two (great business decision) and the only other empty shop in the street is a result of retirement.. Please, someone open a grocers or butchers - we want to shop local!

There is another angle to the problems local traders have with charity shops; charity shops can claim 80% discount/relief on their business tax with a further 20% at the local councils discretion, they also get their goods donated, their staff are mainly volunteers therefore their overheads are relatively low, and when you bear in mind that most charities employ limited companies to run these shops for them I can understand local traders frustration, it is not easy to compete with them.

As the wife of a person who has recently lost their job in Clevedon (shop closure) I can understand their concerns.

I will add that I am not anti-charity shop, they are there to provide money for good causes whcih untimately support the community but there needs to be some balance.