BUCKHURST Hill is fast becoming the most well-groomed town in England as it prepares for the opening of a TENTH hair salon in just one short stretch of road.
Queens Road is already home to nine hairdressers - not to mention other tanning studios and beauty shops – and next week will welcome the opening of new salon Coco's.
The news has divided residents and other traders, with some claiming the council should introduce a cap limiting the number of salons amid fears the market is close to saturation point.
But new owner Eimhear Gowers, 32, who is opening Coco's in partnership with friend Jodie Hutchinson, 28, said she was confident that their salon would under-cut their rivals and survive in Buckhurst Hill's fiercely competitive hair trade.
She said: “We've both been cutting hair at people's homes locally for a number of years so we already have quite a few customers, and we felt many of the other salons here are just really, really expensive.
“We'll stand out because we'll have the same quality but be much better value for money, and we're offering an organic range of colours and shampoos.
“I've heard there are other hairdressers that are unhappy about us opening here but what can we do?”
One of those critics is 55-year-old Stephen Bailey, owner of Bailey's Hair Design.
He said: “I think it's diabolical. The council should definitely be restricting the numbers.
“I've been here for 16 years and the last few have been really tough, especially as the council keep increasing the rates we have to pay.
“There are so many salons because some businesspeople think it's the kind of area where they can make a fortune, but we just don't need another one here.”
Jane Nash, owner of the Jane Nash salon, agreed.
She said: “It's getting ridiculous. The council should limit the numbers otherwise all we'll have left is nothing but salons and restaurants.”
But resident Neil Cohen, 43, has his own theory why the street seems so grooming crazy.
“I think it must be because we're all just a bunch of Essex posers,” he said.
“It's very amusing – how many times a week do some people need to get their hair cut? The thing is whenever I walk past them they're always very busy, and the quality in all of them is pretty good too.”
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