Beyond Chains: Hope Prevent Clone Towns
Clone towns are where every high street looks the same. You could be in Cornwall or Northumberland, and not know where you were, as all the shops look the same, are owned by the same people, and all have bored staff who are paid minimum wage, with most profits going to somewhere far, far away.
Supporting indie shops helps to keep money circulating in communities. For every £5 or £10 you spend each week at an independent shop, this brings collectively billions back into the local economy over a year.
This is because local businesses use local suppliers, pay local taxes, use local signwriters, and tend to eat and drink locally too. Profits go to shop owners, not to shareholders.
Run an indie shop? Many seeds, flowers, plants (and plantable cards) are toxic to pets, so learn what not to sell to households with pets. Never face indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Whitable (the least-cloned town in England!
Whitstable sits on the north Kent coast, close enough to London for an easy escape, yet far enough to slow your pace. It’s a seaside town with a lived-in feel, where the everyday still shows through, and where the high street hasn’t been flattened into the same set of familiar chains.
This matters because Whitstable often gets described as one of England’s least-cloned towns. That phrase can sound niche, so this piece keeps it simple, and then moves through the places and details that make Whitstable feel like itself. Expect beaches, beach huts, quirky streets, bakeries, pubs, and a sense of community.
There’s a casual charm to Whitstable’s streets, especially where older buildings sit next to newer fronts. You notice little changes in brickwork, doors painted in bold colours, and windows filled with things people clearly care about.
This is not a ‘polished town’, but somewhere you can go for a cheap cuppa, not an expensive coffee from a chain store branch. Bakeries bake real bread, with staff getting up early to sell loaves, for the morning rush.
The pubs are local, with landlords who have been there for years. They let people sup a pint over an hour, while sitting down chatting to another regular. No vertical drinking here (loud music to make you sup and buy more), just the murmur of chatter sipping real ale on seats.
Hebden Bridge (very close behind!)
Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire is another town with more indie shops than anywhere in England (even the cinema is run by local people). As are all the coffee shops (there are no major supermarkets, no Starbucks or Costa Coffee, no Mcdonalds and no Domino’s Pizza!)
The big supermarkets all tried to build here, but met with fierce opposition from both local people and planners. It helps that the council here (unlike some other places) appear to have a backbone, in protecting independent shops and pubs.
It used to have so many textile mills, it was called ‘trouser town!’ Many writers and artists make here their home. Many houses here are built directly into steep hills, so some have different street addresses, whether they are on the bottom or top floors! Some even require special flying freehold ownership.
Totnes, Devon (almost won, bar Morrisons!)
Totnes is a quirky town quite near Dartmoor National Park in Devon. It’s also full of independent shops, somewhat ruined by a massive Morrison’s supermarket parked on the edge of town.
But aside from that, it’s mostly local. And as quite an ‘earthy veggie’ town, it’s also home to England’s first-ever zero waste shop Earth. Food. Love (founded by a retired footballer and his wife). He used to play for Manchester United, and also co-founded Rerooted organic oat drink (delivered by electric truck in reusable glass bottles!)
Why have councils (if governments override decisions?)
Angela Chick, Just One Card
The town of Sheringham in North Norfolk is renowned for being home to many independent shops. It lost a gigantic 13-year battle against a big Tesco store opening, since when many local shops have gone to the wall. The council even approved Tesco over its own indie shopkeepers.
But what has recently happened is even worse. And actually quite shocking:
Local residents (for the most part) did not want a Domino’s pizza outlet, as it already has over 40 indie food outlets, and doesn’t want littered plastic pots everywhere.
This time the council backed the residents, and also refused. Yet this decision was overriden by national government, and now it’s opened up!?
So what is the point of local planning departments, if big companies (where profits go out of the country) just go above the council’s heads, and open up anyway?
Tourists will likely use it, and locals will be left with less indie shops, and more litter to clean up.
North Norfolk District Council and Sheringham Town Council both agreed that the town had enough hot food takeaways, and a national chain would threaten the character of the local high street. This is a town where (apart from Tesco), nearly all the shops are locally-owned and unique.
But in early 2025, the national Planning Inspectorate overrode the decision. So now people will be paying a whopping £16 for a bit of dough and a few toppings. And the town will be littered with white plastic sauce pots. Presumably the chain is not going to fund the clearing up of them. This will go onto council tax, for local residents.
What is the reaction of local residents?
A few people don’t mind. But overall there is outrage. The council also says that it will do nothing to improve public health (a reason why many councils are refusing planning to new McDonald’s chains, especially located near schools).
But mostly it’s outrage that pen-pushers far away, have decided (against the wishes of a local town’s residents and council) that it will override democratic decisions, which will negatively affect local businesses, and create more litter.
Local indie shops also keep money in communities. After paying staff, all the profits from Domino’s will go back to the USA base.
Even worse, the chain has also launched a branch in a village on the Norfolk Broads, home to some of our most wonderful birds and wildlife. Known as ‘England’s Amazon.
There is no big ‘national boycott’ in place. But locals are urging residents and visitors to simply vote with their wallets, and support local pizza and other eateries instead. And spend money to help local independent shops, run by family businesses that have been there for decades.
Or failing that – make your own pizza at home!
