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IT is always a pleasure to see Fisherton Street featured in the Salisbury Journal.

I would expect most Journal readers know this Street to be a diverse community of small businesses, offering a rich mixture of trades and services.

It was therefore with some dismay that I read the letter in Postbag entitled, "Fisherton Street is in dire straits", from your correspondent, Ellena Jackson.

Having discussed this issue with several fellow shopkeepers, I can reassure Journal readers that it is not a sentiment shared with those I have spoken to.

I do agree with Ms Jackson that retail trade is tough. This is further endorsed by your front page headline of March 13, which stated: "City Centre under threat".

Business rate tax is unfairly apportioned to city shops in favour of out of town stores.

Fisherton Street has had its fair share of disruption in the recent past.

The Infirmary closure and re-build of Summerlock Bridge caused hardship to shops at these times.

That has thankfully passed by. My experience of this street stretches over 36 years, with business and occupation of no less than eight Fisherton Street premises.

It has offered me a good living.

I am sure the likes of Asia Restaurant, The Bedding Centre, NuClean, Teed Tools and Stonehenge Cycles endorse these sentiments. The unpleasantness that Ms Jackson complains of is not peculiar to Fisherton Street.

She mentions drug problems, vagrants, litter from smoking, and over indulgence of food and drink litter.

These problems occur nationally and can happen in any street.

Having also had shops in Southampton and Swindon, I can assure her that these problems occur in other cities more frequently than in Salisbury.

Many of these irritations are government inspired - relaxed licensing laws, the abolition of smoking in pubs, inadequate policing of city road speed restrictions, and reduced response by police to minor crime, to name but a few.

Ms Jackson is undoubtedly disgruntled and I would not be bold enough to offer advice, only observations.

My observation is that she has a unique business in Salisbury and my experience tells me that hard work does bring its rewards in such a community.

There are currently just three empty units out of over 100 in this street.

I think this demonstrates that small entrepreneurs are still keen to ensure that in Salisbury, Napolean's description of Britain is maintained as "L'Angleterre est une nation de boutiquiers" (England is a nation of shopkeepers).

PAUL DAUWALDER
Secretary, Fisherton Street Traders Association

4:41pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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