Portobello fends off attack of the clones

LONDON - Portobello Road has long been the west London haven for the hip and arty, and the kind of celebrity who prefers to hang out in a slightly more edgy, unpolished kind of space.

Actors Joseph Fiennes and Tom Hollander have praised the area's cafes and cinema, while Annie Lennox even traded Highgate for Portobello.

But now residents and traders claim that the unique charms of the area are under threat thanks to block-buying of the street's properties and huge rent rises that are squeezing out small independent retailers.

To prevent Nightmare on Portobello Street - in which Starbucks and Gap pitch up to turn the road into another "clone" high street - a local campaign group is lobbying Kensington and Chelsea council to turn it into a "business conservation area".

Such conservation status would be a British first, and establish a precedent for those struggling to maintain individual high street character against the onslaught of the retail chains.

Tim Burke of the Friends of the Portobello Road insists his campaign could lead to such a breakthrough.

"We have a very proud history here of challenging planning laws," he says. "What we have on Portobello Road is a delicate eco-system where small traders depend on each other. It's creative, entrepreneurial and clever. But big brands are beginning to come in."

At a meeting to discuss the future development of Kensington and Chelsea, the threats to the character of Portobello Road dominated proceedings.

Costas Kleanthous, chairman of the Portobello Antiques Dealers Association, argued that council planners ought to try to protect the area's special charm.

"The planners talk about protection for buildings but we are talking about something wider. We are talking about character. It's not just a case for this borough but for the nation. Portobello is among the UK's top 10 attractions."

Kleanthous said anxiety is widespread now that a few firms have bought up large numbers of properties and rent rises of 100 per cent are not unusual.

Peter Kalyan of art supply store Lyndon's has just moved off the street after trading there for a decade, saying he could not meet rents demanded by UK Investments, now one of Portobello's biggest landlords.

"They wanted between £40,000 and £45,000 [$112,000, per year]" said Kalyan. "That was double what I was paying before. These big boys are buying all the properties and monopolising the rent."

Lindy Wiffen, owner of Ceramica Blue, worries she won't be able to afford a rent rise from her landlord - also UK Investments. "Everyone is concerned that we are going to lose what is special."

Local resident and singer Jason Donovan adds: "I consider this area my home outside Australia. I love it for what it is. I don't want it to turn into Chelsea."

Jeremy Barnard of JMW Barnard - asset managers for UK Investments - says he can't deny that rents have risen but insists that big retailers are not lining up to muscle in. "The fashion retailers who have moved in are not national multiples."

- INDEPENDENT