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The owner of Kew Bookshop said she has been “overwhelmed” by support from the trade as she fights to defend her bookshop from demolition.
Nearly 800 people have now signed a petition calling for Richmond Council to reject a planning bid by landlords CP Holdings and Burning Issues Ltd to demolish the traditional-style wooden-fronted bookshop in Kew village and replace it with a modern brick two-storey retail space, which would mean the closure of the book store.
Since The Bookseller reported on the threat to Kew Bookshop last week, owner Isla Dawes said she has been flooded with messages of support from the book trade and local community, with nearly 200 people now objecting to the planning application on Richmond Council’s website.
Local celebrities actor John Hannah and presenter Gabby Logan have also voiced their objections to the planning proposal on Twitter and local MP Zac Goldsmith has backed the campaign to keep the bookshop open.
Dawes said: “I have been very pleased and touched by the response from the trade and local people, it has been fantastic, everyone has been amazing. I think people feel very strongly about that particular row of shops with the wooden frontages because it informs the character and charm of the whole area. The traders on the road have been incredibly supportive as well.”
Dawes, who also owns bookshops in Sheen and Barnes, has said that if permission for the extension and refurbishment of the property is granted, she would be forced to close the bookshop because she would no longer be able to afford the rent.
A meeting between Goldsmith, the landlords, Dawes and other parties is set to take place next Monday (12th May) to discuss the planning application. Dawes said she hoped the demolition bid would be halted before it reached the planning committee meeting stage at the beginning of June. “I would love them to say we have looked at the responses and we are no longer going to press ahead,” Dawes said.
Alessandro Gallenzi, co-founder of independent publisher Alma Books, also based in Richmond, is among those who have objected to the plans. He said: “"With over 200 objections and 700 signatories in 10 days, I think the communities of Kew and Richmond have clearly expressed their opinion about the proposed plans to redevelop the building in which The Kew Bookshop has its premises. Kew has a unique character, and the Parade would not be the same again without all its quaint wooden buildings and little shops. I was only too happy to spread the word among the local societies (Richmond Society, Richmond Arts Society etc.), and among friends and acquaintances, as I think the loss of a such an important cultural landmark would be irreversible.”
Meanwhile, Goldsmith told The Bookseller: "If the application proceeds, Kew will not only lose a unique and much loved building, it will potentially lose the business as well. Worse, a green light for this development would almost certainly be followed by similar applications, which together would simply devastate Kew Village."