| Stephen Wallace, Putney Town Centre Manager "vociferously" defends Putney's identity on this site (see http://www.putneysw15.com/default.asp?section=trading&spage=common/eclonesw001.htm, saying the NEF report "doesn't seem to reflect what we see locally at all." He then goes into a list of chain shops (Next. M&S etc) and claims we have both local and national shops - but doesn't manage to name one. Further, he goes on about Putney being a place "with strong historic links (e.g. Putney Debates/St Mary’s Church, many famous residents), self-evident cultural identity (e.g. Putney Arts Theatre, Putney School of Art & Design, Open House, Putney Sculpture Trail etc)," but these cultural aspects do nothing at all to counter the description of Putney as a clone *shopping* town - after all, that's what the report is about. He might as well cite the Thames, the nearness of Richmond Park, Hampton Court etc. Not a very convincing defence…. |