Westminster pharmacist fears closure after 30 years from rising property prices

By Hannah Neary, Local Democracy Reporter

A pharmacist who has been working in Mayfair for 30 years fears he could be priced out of his own neighbourhood.

Shailedra Amin, who owns Audley Pharmacy in South Audley Street, said the area has been hit by a mass exodus of residents who are put off by unaffordable property prices.

Mr Amin, 67, said he feared he may have to leave the area after being asked to pay £70,000 in business rates.

He said lots of designer clothing shops and swanky restaurants have popped up and he is one of the few independent businesses left in Mayfair.

He said: “In the beginning, we used to have coffee shops, delicatessens and grocery stores. It was like a village. Gradually all these have closed down. If you look now we have all the high-end shops. The trend is also to get more restaurants, bars and members clubs. 

“The mornings have become totally dead and evenings really busy and noisy, like Soho. A lot of residents tend to move out towards Kensington and Chelsea for a more village atmosphere.”

He added: “A lot of properties have gone on sale and been bought by overseas clients, and they hardly come. They come in the summer for a couple of weeks. Most of the time the properties are just empty.”

Mr Amin said he wants Westminster City council to provide more support to independent businesses by subsidising their rates in areas where rent has become unmanageable.

He added: “I think they should subsidise essential businesses like groceries, pharmacies and newsagents. If I had to pay the full rates they are asking, maybe I will have to close down.

“They compare us with the likes of all the high-end shops and their profit margins… I can’t compete with them.”

Labour councillor Jessica Toale recently said Mayfair is half-empty as Londoners can’t afford to live there and many properties are being snapped-up as second homes by buyers with “illicit” money.

She said: “If you walk around at night you see hardly any lights on. It’s a stark indication of how many empty properties there are, particularly Park Lane, which has been a residential hub in the area.

“Schools are struggling to get enough pupils, the library footfall is down. Commercial rents are going up, which means it’s difficult for the companies to pay rent.”

Westminster City council has launched a campaign against dirty money in the borough, pledging to make sure businesses pay their fair share of tax and stop foreign property owners from using local properties as a hub for illicit business.

Pictured top: Audley Pharmacy, Mayfair (Picture: Hannah Neary)