Communities need more than Coffee!

The units in front of Kilburn station used to be really useful: news, snacks, greetings cards and Oyster cards; dry cleaning; shoe repair/key cutting; and above all, the Florist - a wonderful place for both regular bunches and for special occasions; - birthdays, weddings and funerals. All the shops had friendly, helpful staff and the thousands of regular users of the station were able to get what they needed quickly and easily.

Now it is just a load of coffee shops. I understand that the old shopkeepers had to leave because the rents became too high. How can it be good business to price people out of premises and then keep them empty for years, getting no rent at all? That is what happened to the florist.

So whatever TfL does in the future, there needs to be a mix of service units which match what people need, at a price which enables the businesses not just to survive but actually to prosper.