Off with her head! How Mary Queen of Shops enraged Margate's traders

Retail guru is accused of putting needs of her TV show above those of the resort she is trying to save

view gallery VIEW GALLERY
Suggested Topics

Her charisma, drive and retail savvy were meant to rejuvenate some of Britain's most deprived towns. But residents of Margate are rising up against Mary Portas, claiming she is putting the interests of her television company before their own.

The down-at-heel Kent seaside resort was one of 12 "Portas pilot towns" selected to receive £100,000 to revive its flagging High Street.

In her role as the Government's high-street tsar, tasked by David Cameron with creating "town teams" to develop businesses, the Queen of Shops concluded that Margate is "practically dying".

She has big ideas to transform the community, turning empty shops into an enterprise centre, helping instal free public wi-fi and opening a quality market with "pop-up" stalls for local entrepreneurs. But Portas will also bring a Channel 4 film crew and the producers want to impose "gagging" terms on local businesses which participate.

Storeholders may not use social media to discuss their involvement and must let the producers, Optomen TV, examine their finances.

There are also fears that her focus on trendy boutiques ignores the ingrained social problems of a town scarred by poverty, where 36 per cent of shops are either boarded-up or empty. The Margate Town Team, which put together the successful bid, fears that "the desires of a TV production company are being placed above the needs of a community in transition".

It is "confused and concerned" about the involvement of the television company, with its "overly restrictive contracts which seem to want to quash and silence" public involvement.

At a meeting this week, Portas warned residents against shunning the publicity that television exposure will bring. "You either let the cameras in with me or I get back on the train and some other town gets it," she said.

Tony, who runs the last surviving High-Street grocery store, could be one of Portas's stars. "She came in so I asked her what she thought was wrong," he said. "She said, 'It's very sparsely stocked'. But you can see how bad we're doing – there's no trade and no one's spending anything. Takings are 90 per cent down." However Tony will sign up for the Portas makeover. "Good for her if she can bring Margate back to what it was."

Residents say the High Street died when Marks & Spencer relocated to the out-of-town Westwood Cross centre. What's left is a jumble of hair, tanning and nail salons, a discount store and a Cheque Centre.

Matt, store manager of JC Rook, the butcher, said: "You can't turn the town into something it is not. People here don't have an awful lot of money. There's no point creating lots of high-end clothing boutiques."

Margate is divided between the "top end" and the seafront Old Town, which is home to a thriving new community of artists' galleries, shops and pavement cafés. "It's all about the bottom end of the town," said Jay, popping into the auto accessories store run by her husband, Dave. "They want to turn it into a European style café society. But they forget about us here."

Portas has asked Optomen to review the most restrictive elements of the contracts. Her veiled threat to pull out of Margate was "heat of moment stuff with a camera stuck in [my] face".

The Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed that Margate will get the £100,000, even if the town withdraws from the series.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Top stories
News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
More stories
       
Independent
Travel Shop
India and Shimla
14 nights from only £1899pp Find out more
Prague city break
Three nights from £199pp Find out more
4* Soreda hotel break, Malta
Seven nights all-inclusive from £399pp Find out more
Independent Dating
and  

By clicking 'Search' you
are agreeing to our
Terms of Use.

Day In a Page

James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats
Giro d'Italia: The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

As the Giro d'Italia tackles the brutal climb, Simon Usborne takes on the snow and switchbacks – and soon realises what the fuss is about
National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

Sent down at the Old Bailey

A tour of the world's most famous court
Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
British football scores an own goal

British football scores an own goal

Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

James Lawton

Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again