tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Likewise the gym entrance next to Home Bargains, was just breeze blocks until very recently.
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Stafford shops opening - Turning into a boom town?
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Tilly
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Feed The Goat
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Marks and Spencer, Gaolgate St @ £300k
Arcadia, Gaolgate St @ £275k
New Look, Gaolgate St, its gotta be cheap
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
Honestly it’s not a great place to have a business that relies on footfall.
They’d be better off changing the usage type to office and letting it as that instead.
Office space is what upstairs has always been advertised as before it had a change of use to a gym. So it has never actually been used as an office.
As the old New Look was there for sometime ( not sure if anything was before it) I guess they think the likelihood if it being let as retail or leisure is more likely than office. Plus if the ground floor does not have consent for office space not sure it can be advertised as that.
Office space has been diminished in town centres as smaller businesses have folded or moved to business parks where there is parking and purpose built facilities that are in some cases cheaper. You look at Stafford, that is why upper levels in town are being converted into apartments.
About a year ago both the borough and county buildings came up with the idea of enticing office space and start ups to reignite the north end.
As is not uncommon, that was the last we heard of it.
As the old New Look was there for sometime ( not sure if anything was before it) I guess they think the likelihood if it being let as retail or leisure is more likely than office. Plus if the ground floor does not have consent for office space not sure it can be advertised as that.
Office space has been diminished in town centres as smaller businesses have folded or moved to business parks where there is parking and purpose built facilities that are in some cases cheaper. You look at Stafford, that is why upper levels in town are being converted into apartments.
About a year ago both the borough and county buildings came up with the idea of enticing office space and start ups to reignite the north end.
As is not uncommon, that was the last we heard of it.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
An office in the town centre is more use than an apartment as workers will use the shops during the day, residents are usually away at work.
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
The last place I'd want my office would be in a town centre. Commuting hassle, parking hassle, lots of noise.
Feed The Goat
Well-Known Forumite
A property agent confirmed to me that town centre offices are in very little demand, conversion to residential many be the only option.
Tumble weed
Well-Known Forumite
They'd be better off applying for a change of use for the old new look space , and turning it into a bar or restaurant.
The gym is a bit more complicated, I don't think it'd work as a retail unit tbh, unless some sort of staircase was created within new look and they turned it into a double floor retail unit.
I had noticed planned had been out forward to turn the space above millets into a dance studio though, dunno what the status of acceptance is, but there was notices put about town, so maybe something like that ?
A gym could work there, if they used all the space I think.
The gym is a bit more complicated, I don't think it'd work as a retail unit tbh, unless some sort of staircase was created within new look and they turned it into a double floor retail unit.
I had noticed planned had been out forward to turn the space above millets into a dance studio though, dunno what the status of acceptance is, but there was notices put about town, so maybe something like that ?
A gym could work there, if they used all the space I think.
Tilly
Well-Known Forumite
A change of use to a massive sign that says -
USE EITHER LANE WHEN EXITING THIS ROUNDABOUT TOWARDS TELFORD
rudie111
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BUT NOT BOTH
Tilly
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tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
I guess I think as a pedestrian, town is walking distance to everyone in Stafford (at least those fit and healthy) and I quite like a wander about on my lunch break. Saves having to visit at weekends!
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
People refitting SOS on mill street and some looking round My Belles at Riverside today.
You hit the nail on the head. Apartment conversions in town are great but the balance needs to be right.
At the moment Stafford is being almost overrun in the town centre with upper floor conversions or plans for it.
You are right, folk who live in the town centre will be off to work themselves, so preventing office space and people coming into town in the day diminishes the amount of people who could spend money.
Of course if nobody wants office space better to be used for something than empty.
But the councils need to do more to entice business in and not just fingers crossed.
Pooryorick
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Meanwhile, what's that they're building on the site beside the old dole office at Greyfriars? Morrisons, maybe.
Tilly
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Wormella
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Popped in on my way home yesterday - it is vast but only accepting cash at the moment.
Tilly
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Do they do veggie burgers?