Ann Chapman, the new chair of Be Richmond, the organisation which promotes Richmond as a great place to live, work and explore, explains to Pippa Duncan what the last few months has meant for Richmond businesses and what the future might hold
Like every area of London, Richmond has been hit by the fallout from the pandemic. Many businesses were forced to close for months and furlough staff. And, just when we were getting back to some semblance of normality, we have just gone into Tier 2, which, of course, may have changed again by the time you read this.
Safety Measures
But during those difficult months, behind the scenes, Be Richmond, which represents 350 central Richmond businesses, has been helping to keep Richmond safe. Says Ann: ‘We organised for twice weekly anti-viral spraying in central areas during the summer, which has just started again. We also initiated the Safe S.P.A.C.E. scheme – our charter for ensuring Covid compliance and creating a safe environment in retail shops – so that both staff and customers feel safe. Richmond was the first town to do so in the UK and we had a lot of positive TV and radio coverage.’
These measures help to ensure that locals feel safe to visit local shops, cafes and restaurants and that 
workers feel secure that precautions have been taken to help them feel safe when they come to work locally.
In the run-up to Christmas Ann hopes to have in place Covid-safe activities: ‘We’d like to have family trails (socially distanced, of course), a digital magazine and a virtual switch on of the Christmas lights.’ Last year’s Christmas lights were a huge success, with trees lit up on the main roads and along the riverside and, even though groups may not be able to meet up, the plan is still to create a magical feeling around the town centre and to draw families in to shop, eat and celebrate the season.
Future plans
Plans for the House of Fraser site are currently going ahead as planned and work to rebuild the site should be starting within months. The new build will include retail space on the ground floor and basement – and possibly a gym – with the upper floors being used for office space and other uses. ‘It is hoped that it will revive the site and be an attractive addition to that part of Richmond,’ says Ann.
And the other retail units that are currently empty? ‘We are contacting new retailers who might want to move in and this is supported by Richmond Council who are also actively seeing what can be done. Times are difficult and with the general shift to online purchases, retailers are having to make business decisions that perhaps are being speeded up by Covid lockdowns. But eventually this period will settle and new retailers will move in.’
Be Richmond itself isn’t immune. It is funded by local business stakeholders and may need to operate at a reduced level as those businesses have a reduced income. Difficult times indeed.
Find out more about local businesses here: Richmond Businesses
Find out more about Be Richmond