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Haverhill businessman Phil Jordan believes a complete rethink is needed to help the town centre thrive




An architect and businessman believes some ‘radical’ thinking is required to save Haverhill High Street from emptying out.

Phil Jordan feels online shopping has taken over so much now that a different high street model is needed.

The experienced architect, who works on projects in the UK and abroad, made his suggestion in the wake of Nick Rutter, owner of Nicom IT Service in High Street, tabling the idea of forming a Haverhill Retail Group to rejuvenate the retail centre – as featured in last week’s Echo.

Phil Jordan is a director of CARE (Little Court) UK and Jordan+Bateman Architects Ltd. Picture: Submitted
Phil Jordan is a director of CARE (Little Court) UK and Jordan+Bateman Architects Ltd. Picture: Submitted

Phil, director of Jordan+Bateman Architects Ltd and CARE (Little Court) Ltd (the latter is the company behind the dementia care village development just outside Haverhill) said the town should perhaps look back to the 19th century for a model that could better suit today’s high streets.

At that time, he said, shops were more likely to be in the front rooms of houses, above which was the living accommodation for the owners or staff.

Phil, who lives in West Wickham with his wife Sarah, said: “Thoughts are now turning towards the ideas that its maybe time to go back to that way of thinking.

The High Street in Haverhill. Picture: Steve Barton
The High Street in Haverhill. Picture: Steve Barton

“Bring in more residential living on the High Street at ground floor level with accommodation over.

“This will bring people into the town centre, providing much need residential accommodation and they will start to use the remaining shops, cafés and bars.

“This will more than likely generate an increase in the footfall along the High Street and gradually, with people will come shops to serve those people.

“The initial impact will probably affect the cafés and bars first, but along with the ethnic supermarkets and restaurants coming to the town this will start to reverse the relentless decline we have seen over the past 20 years.

The WHSmith store in High Street, Haverhill, will welcome customers for the last time on Saturday, April 26. It is the most recent victim of the retail downturn in the town in recent years. Picture: Steve Barton
The WHSmith store in High Street, Haverhill, will welcome customers for the last time on Saturday, April 26. It is the most recent victim of the retail downturn in the town in recent years. Picture: Steve Barton

“The issue will be persuading the property owners in the High Street to take the risk and invest in these sorts of changes.”

Phil added: “I am of the age where I can remember the Area Improvement Districts of the 1960s and 1970s, where the councils took the lead in promoting regeneration of run-down properties with town centres by declaring improvement areas for a period of time.

“Perhaps this can be revisited and by way of encouragement provide rate holidays to allow the money normally paid for the rates to be used to upgrade, repair and repurpose the empty shops and first floor accommodation.

“This may seem radical, but without something like this the town centre will be both empty of shops and buildings.”