A sports shop which has been a staple in north London for nearly 50 years is facing closure after nearby parking was removed.
Euro Sports in Swiss Cottage has seen a sharp decrease in sales after parking spots were removed by Transport for London, owner Dip Patel, 67, told Metro.
Mr Patel is pleading with TfL to come to the area to speak with business owners about the concerning development.
Euro Sport opened in 1976 and has since provided services to famous faces, ranging from Peter Crouch to David Beckham. Even Sir Paul McCartney and the Gallagher brothers have stopped by the shop.
Despite their rich history in north London, business is decreasing for the family-run business.
Mr Patel said: ‘They’ve taken all of the parking. There’s none nearby anymore. Our customers come from quite far because our business is quite specialist. We restring and customise rackets for tennis, squash, badminton.
‘As soon as the parking was removed last October, straightaway, business dropped.’
He’s written to his local MP, Tulip Siddiq, who managed to get in touch with the transport authority, who reinstated parking briefly.
But last October, TfL returned and took away the parking again – without consulting the businesses, Mr Patel claims.
‘They have never come to see any of the retailers and have any sort of discussion as to what they’re going to do or whatever.
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‘These decisions are being made by people who, if the businesses fail and people lose their livelihoods, it makes no difference. They get paid at the end of the day, so there’s no accountability.’
Family-owned businesses are vital for a high street, Mr Patel said, because they provide a service that can’t be bought online.
He added: ‘People say, ‘Oh, I can get it online’. But we provide a service, and what we provide here is not what you can buy online. You can’t buy the experience. You need to come in.’
A TfL spokesperson told Metro: ‘Improving bus journey times is a key part of our Bus Action Plan to make buses more attractive, encouraging more Londoners to choose sustainable transport options, and helping to reduce overall congestion. Bus lanes improve the bus network’s reliability and help to reduce journey times.
‘The changes to parking in this location were introduced in 2020 as part of our trial to extend the hours of operation of bus lanes. To keep the bus lanes clear, some parking bays affecting the operation of the bus lanes were suspended during the trial.
‘There was widespread support for the scheme, and, in 2021 these changes became permanent. We regularly meet with local communities, and we would be happy to meet with Mr Patel regarding his comments.’
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