As renewal planning gets into gear, planners are testing ideas
and engaging in discussions with traders on what might be possible and what
might not be possible. This is all part
of the consultation process and designed to get the best possible outcome out
of a range of options.
One such example concerns the processing of fish within the shops
of our fish hall. In some cases fish waste is carried through the Deli Hall and
this has understandably drawn criticism. But the solution is not easy with our
current fish shop configuration. For many of the shops, their only exit is into
the Deli Hall.
One proposal is that filleting and processing would be done in a
separate area away from the shops. That would keep the waste away from public
view but it could also remove one of the key bits of theatre in our fish hall
where customers select a fish and have it filleted on the spot. A little
idiosyncrasy associated with that practice is that filleting is done in full
view of the customer. It is a tradition that goes back to the old days when an
unscrupulous fishmonger might have swapped the fish in a back room. Obviously,
taking the fish away for filleting would be unacceptable to many customers.
This is just one of the many issues that will arise as renewal
possibilities are discussed and explored. Genuine consultation with traders and
a global view of customer wishes, operational requirements, profitability, and
a big dose of retail common sense will find an answer to most of them. We will
keep an eye on this one.
