Beaumont Street's presentation, parking availability and anti-social behaviour.

There are a host of views on each issue's severity and how to address them, but they are widely held concerns.

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"The biggest mistake they made was getting rid of the police station 20-odd years ago. It was around the corner," Beaumont Street Butchery owner of 26 years Craig Comyns said.

"How can you have an area that's got six pubs and no police station?

"You wouldn't see that anywhere else in Australia.

"There's a real lack of [police] presence that doesn't deter people. I've seen drug deals on the corner."

Newcastle City Police Commander Wayne Humphrey said his officers conducted "frequent patrols" of the area "on a daily basis".

"The district is currently undertaking Operation Street Safe ... targeting anti-social behaviour and other criminal activity," he said.

"This operation will continue to increase over the coming months, with more regular and high-visibility patrols and engagements."

Hamilton Business Improvement Association chair Janice Musumeci said traders couldn't control who mingled in the area but incidents of anti-social behaviour needed to be reported.

"Get on the phone, make a call and we will get it on the radar. Everyone thinks someone else will call," she said.

Paul Murphy moved Churchill's Carpet Court to Hamilton three years ago from Newcastle. His store is on Tudor Street and relocating has been good for business, but as someone who is up and down Beaumont Street most days he is astounded by its presentation.

"We've lost a few businesses and a few new ones have taken the opportunity to open, but the filthiness of the place is terrible," he said.

"Day to day it needs money spent on it. The public toilets are shocking."

Newcastle council says a street sweeper or road broom is used each morning and the James Street and Gregson Park toilets are cleaned daily, all-year-round.

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But Mr Comyns believes the level of cleaning could be improved, pointing to metres of bird poo on the street. Mr Murphy said a "better cleaning system" was needed "right through the place".

However the duo are of the opinion traders could get step their efforts up to "make the place more presentable".

"I think the shop owners themselves need to have a good look at things and do an update," Mr Murphy said.

"It's got to be more inviting for people, and at the moment you wouldn't say it is."

Ms Musumeci said it was up to shopkeepers to ensure their stores looked good, but the BIA was looking at funding a stylist to conduct "audits" to assist them.

Traders are also able to apply for $50,000 worth of contestable funding for promotions or beautification projects. The latest round closed last week and grants will soon be announced.

One issue not going away in the precinct is parking. Some traders say it is a nightmare while others are less concerned. But there is little doubt it can be difficult to find a park in and around Beaumont Street. As one cafe owner described it, "nine out of 10 customers complain about the parking".

The council's latest parking strategy proposes introducing meters, shorter limits or higher fees when more than 85 per cent of an area's spaces are occupied.

This is occurring in Hamilton. Parking is well used at this rate but motorists should still find one in seven spaces free.

Beyond it, they either leave or circle for a park, leading to congestion.

Regardless of whether people could make better use of public or active transport, almost every trader the Herald spoke to said parking needs a shake-up.

Sophie Bramwell, owner of The Neighbourhood Salon, said customers often called to say they would be late as they couldn't find a park.

"It's definitely an issue. I don't know what the answer is apart from building a car park," she said. "People are parking well into surrounding streets, which makes it difficult for residents."

The Village cafe owner Sam Tsolakis believes a one-way street and angled-parking would create more spaces and improve street amenity.

His opinion is based on the benefits derived from the removal of buses from Beaumont Street in 2018, which he said was "the best thing that's ever happened". Other traders said one-way traffic could make the street safer.

Short term, Mr Tsolakis said parking officers had to be deployed more regularly to deter motorists overstaying the set time limits.

The council would not provide information about how long officers spent in the area, saying they "generally patrol" it "every day".