A town centre that once offered “a pleasant mix of national names and distinctive local specialities” supplied the emotional charge behind the verdict, which Yes won by 189 votes to 31. The winning case treated the spread of vape shops and barbershops as shorthand for a broader civic decline, with one of its most respected voices declaring: “Literally every corner!”
Yes voters also connected the visual change to suspicion about what happens behind the shutters. One argued “Money laundering, must pay in cash”, while another pointed to the replacement of ordinary shops by “graffiti-covered boarded-up shopfronts” and places they considered “definitely areas to avoid”. The mood was rueful rather than triumphant: even the briefest Yes reply ended, “Fair point.”
No’s strongest argument attacked the wording before the outlets themselves. The floor’s most-respected No case called it “a flawed question” because “stained” was pejorative, insisting that supermarkets, retail parks and online shopping had done more damage to the high street than these businesses. Other No voices made the same case in more practical terms: “These shops didn’t throw anyone out, they took empty units”, while another conceded that “There are to many of them tho”.
The two sides therefore argued on different registers. Yes saw concentration, suspicious trading and lost character; No saw landlords, parking charges, property taxes and consumers who had chosen convenience, with some stressing that the issue was localised and that many apparent vape shops sold other goods. The result lands inside the wider high-street argument as a verdict on appearance and atmosphere, not a settled diagnosis of economic cause.
The room agreed on the stain, but not on who—or what—had made it.
17 Opinions
These shops didn't throw anyone out, they took empty units. Our convenient out of town retail parks, we all go to crushed the high st. Along with property taxes, greedy landlords, excesive parking charges and our love of online shopping and home delivery. We stopped shopping there for convenience, its our shopping habits at fault. They just filled unwanted space.
It's a rather localised issue and differs from area to area in reality most "vape shops" are not just solely vape shops. They just have a certain licensing and signage requirements to legally sell nicotine products.
NO simply because the shops on the highstreet are the shops people use.. For every vape shop or barbers there's at least two more likely three hairdressers (why's no one wanting them banned?) & or charity shops plus 3/4 takeaways. The facts is "lose it or use it" is the saying that counts. If you still wanted to see greengrocers, bakers, butchers etc you shouldn't have used Tesco & others retail park superstores or home delivery. Stop vapeing & the shops will close!
This is a flawed question. "Stained" is pejorative. The decline in retail on high streets is caused predominantly by people shopping in supermarkets, retail parks and online. If you don't use your high street, don't expect it to be full of quality shops! Never used a vape shop, and don't intend to, but you won't get rid of them by dissing then.
Money laundering, must pay in cash thank you, drugs and dodgy tobacco. We all know ,give it a couple more years and government will launch a consultation on it !!
Stained is an awful word to describe shops. There are to many of them tho
My town centre used to have a pleasant mix of national names and distinctive local specialities and family-owned businesses. Now it's all coffee shops, tattoo parlours, nail bars, vape and phone repair shops, international (halal) food markets, or graffiti-covered boarded-up shopfronts. All thoroughly depressing and definitely areas to avoid.
Literally every corner! We all know something dodgy is going on.