Headington is a charming suburb just two miles outside of the city of Oxford. It has been praised for its close community spirit. Home to the infamous Headington Shark, a landmark known throughout the country and somewhat also less known C. S Lewis burial site. On its bustling high street it provides a unique blend of local and independent shops,  however, this close-knit neighbourhood has recently experienced a decline in independent-owned shops which has left residents having less variety to buy from. 

 

This includes the popular gift and balloon shop Frog Orange, the stationery shop Pen to Paper and the Artisan Food Market which has now transformed into a KFC, after the space being unused for over a year. A culmination of Amazon, the controversial Low Traffic neighbourhoods (LTN’s) that block drivers access, and high business rates and rent are pushing the small businesses out of our local high-street. There is no surprise that Greggs, Costa, Starbucks and KFC, these large corporations, are able to afford the prime spots in the high-street. 

 

Lucy Lee Allen, the former Frog Orange owner shares her experiences and views on the matter; “I think Amazon is the prime reason that so many independent shops are closing, the public feel as if they are getting a better deal and it's more convenient using delivery service” LTNs are a huge challenge that independent shop owners are faced with and in particular its reduction in foot traffic. As neighbourhoods like Headington like to prioritise pedestrians and cycling, they often try to limit vehicle use. While this can be extremely beneficial for the environment. However, this can make it harder for shoppers to reach their favourite local shops. That they could once get to relatively quickly. Lucy Lee Allen also shares that they “lost all customers outside of Headington” once LTNs had been put in place. Overall, Headington's independent shops are facing a challenging landscape, with closures of shops being a hard reality. 

 

However, there are still some independent highlights in Headington. These are The Fairtrade shop, Il Botanico and everyone's favourite, Headington Homewares. These businesses are thriving against the odds and we as local consumers need to spend our money in these establishments to keep our high-street afloat. We must try and support these and not let the corporate world take over our community shops.