Broad Street shop fears locks will be changed over unpaid rent

A record and plant shop in Bath fears the council will change its locks in a row over thousands in unpaid rent.

Chapter 22 on Broad Street in Bath | Photo © Nicola Taylor

Chapter 22 on Broad Street had been told by its landlord Bath & North East Somerset Council that it would have to close unless it repays a “substantial amount of unpaid rent,” its owners have said.

Now Nicola Taylor, who runs the shop alongside Dean Brown, fears the council will change the locks this week.

Ms Taylor said the shop had always paid rent until six months ago, as they faced “dire trading conditions” over the summer with few shoppers on Broad Street.

She said that the shop was just about to enter its busy period, as people shop for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, and would be able to pay back the rent then.

But Ms Taylor said the council had refused to let the shop set up a rent repayment plan in a meeting on Monday, 29th September.

She said: “We just wanted to discuss a repayment plan but they wouldn’t have any of it because they said we said that before.

“We aren’t asking for a rent rebate. We are asking if we can pay our rent over the next busy period.”

Chapter 22 has been open for four years and has won a gold award at Bath in Bloom three times.

Ms Taylor said its loyal customers were “outraged and devastated.” She has worked as a florist in the city for 34 years and said: “It’s my city. I want to do something nice for my city.”

Ms Taylor and Mr Brown said Broad Street had become nicknamed as “Grim Street” due to a lack of customers.

They have longed warned that it is due to poor signage compared to other parts of the city centre. She said: “We have asked for the last two years for more signage of the street.”

The council’s cabinet member for resources, Mark Elliott, has said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases, but can confirm we only consider moving to enforcement action after a long period of time, discussion, negotiation and all avenues have been exhausted.

“We have a responsibility to our residents to ensure we collect all monies owed to the council, whether by an individual or a business.”

John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter