Poll Do you think Stafford is "Run Down" ?

[Bob]

The only way to make the town centre better is to fill it, first and foremost, and to make parking easier.

Fill it with shops people want: Joules, L'Occitane, Fat Face, Jacamo, Disney, Cath Kidston, Debenhams, Lego, oasis - The list goes on. I'm not even talking about the Karen Millen, Hugo Boss, Ted Baker type shops just a few that are a little nicer than Sports Direct and whatever is going on with the old co-op.

Parking could be instantly solved with a park and ride, possibly £3 all day to include 15 minute interval busses to J13 or J14 where there is more than enough space to create plenty of parking space. Yes it would be a big initial investment but in the long run I think it would work very well. It would attract people from further afield and would solve much of the congestion in the town centre. It would also be of a huge benefit to those who work in the town centre and drive to the college.

Then Stafford needs Bars, some nicer chains and some really good independents, it's a lovely town with some amazing architecture and features that could be fully appreciated with a bit of an investment. It's not hard to make Stafford into the 'go-to' town it could be but there is a lot of work to be done.

Throw in weekly events in the park and the market square and job done, the town will thrive again.

I also think some money should be spent of giving certain buildings a bit of a facelift.

It's not rocket science - how do a get a job at the council?

 

[Malcolm]

The only way to make the town centre better is to fill it, first and foremost, and to make parking easier.

Fill it with shops people want: Joules, L'Occitane, Fat Face, Jacamo, Disney, Cath Kidston, Debenhams, Lego, oasis - The list goes on. I'm not even talking about the Karen Millen, Hugo Boss, Ted Baker type shops just a few that are a little nicer than Sports Direct and whatever is going on with the old co-op.

Parking could be instantly solved with a park and ride, possibly £3 all day to include 15 minute interval busses to J13 or J14 where there is more than enough space to create plenty of parking space. Yes it would be a big initial investment but in the long run I think it would work very well. It would attract people from further afield and would solve much of the congestion in the town centre. It would also be of a huge benefit to those who work in the town centre and drive to the college.

Then Stafford needs Bars, some nicer chains and some really good independents, it's a lovely town with some amazing architecture and features that could be fully appreciated with a bit of an investment. It's not hard to make Stafford into the 'go-to' town it could be but there is a lot of work to be done.

Throw in weekly events in the park and the market square and job done, the town will thrive again.

I also think some money should be spent of giving certain buildings a bit of a facelift.

It's not rocket science - how do a get a job at the council?

Yes! This the kind of thinking that we need, not people moaning about everything under the sun but have no suggestions to do anything about it. Private enterprise will bring these things about, and if there is sufficient demand, it can happen. The role the council has is planning control and business rates. They cannot and should not be our 'nanny'.

 

[Trumpet]

Fill it with shops people want: Joules, L'Occitane, Fat Face, Jacamo, Disney, Cath Kidston, Debenhams, Lego, oasis - The list goes on.

The classic Catch 22 situation you won't attract any of the above until Stafford becomes a 'destination town' for shoppers and I can't see that happening unless you can attract...........etc etc.
I won't even pretend to have an answer, property management companies try their hardest to fill void properties but to try and talk a landlord into going down the rent free period or two years capped rent avenue, they may as well talk to the office cat.

 

[HopesDad]

The only way to make the town centre better is to fill it, first and foremost, and to make parking easier.

Fill it with shops people want: Joules, L'Occitane, Fat Face, Jacamo, Disney, Cath Kidston, Debenhams, Lego, oasis - The list goes on. I'm not even talking about the Karen Millen, Hugo Boss, Ted Baker type shops just a few that are a little nicer than Sports Direct and whatever is going on with the old co-op.

Parking could be instantly solved with a park and ride, possibly £3 all day to include 15 minute interval busses to J13 or J14 where there is more than enough space to create plenty of parking space. Yes it would be a big initial investment but in the long run I think it would work very well. It would attract people from further afield and would solve much of the congestion in the town centre. It would also be of a huge benefit to those who work in the town centre and drive to the college.

Then Stafford needs Bars, some nicer chains and some really good independents, it's a lovely town with some amazing architecture and features that could be fully appreciated with a bit of an investment. It's not hard to make Stafford into the 'go-to' town it could be but there is a lot of work to be done.

Throw in weekly events in the park and the market square and job done, the town will thrive again.

I also think some money should be spent of giving certain buildings a bit of a facelift.

It's not rocket science - how do a get a job at the council?

All very laudible but none of those shops would bother coming to Stafford as they would not do enough trade. People of Stafford would not understand 'quality' shops, that is why we are stuck with the likes of sports direct and endless charity shops and poundshops. Even the tiger shop, the poor man's IKEA, failed.

 

[Malcolm]

Christ! You have a very negative view of Stafford and its people. I think you should just move out mate.

 

[HopesDad]

Christ! You have a very negative view of Stafford and its people. I think you should just move out mate.

Not negative, just realistic. Unfortunately it is impossible to be realistic about Stafford without being negative.

 

[proactive]

All very laudible but none of those shops would bother coming to Stafford as they would not do enough trade. People of Stafford would not understand 'quality' shops, that is why we are stuck with the likes of sports direct and endless charity shops and poundshops. Even the tiger shop, the poor man's IKEA, failed.

Here we go again...

 

[proactive]

Not negative, just realistic. Unfortunately it is impossible to be realistic about Stafford without being negative.

For you clearly. Though I think your just doing it for the attention.

 

[Malcolm]

Well, life is what you make it ultimately. One thing is for certain as we move into a new year is that if we wait for someone else to come along and make everything alright, we'll die waiting. For the moaners, get cracking and do your little bit to make things better. Why don't you get involved if it's worrying you so much? If it's just for attention, well I've enjoyed sparring with you this morning!

 

[Bob]

All very laudible but none of those shops would bother coming to Stafford as they would not do enough trade. People of Stafford would not understand 'quality' shops, that is why we are stuck with the likes of sports direct and endless charity shops and poundshops. Even the tiger shop, the poor man's IKEA, failed.

That's not true, Pandora seems to be doing well and so does the previous number 15, I forget the name, people are obviously using and spending money in these place.

 

[HopesDad]

Well, life is what you make it ultimately. One thing is for certain as we move into a new year is that if we wait for someone else to come along and make everything alright, we'll die waiting. For the moaners, get cracking and do your little bit to make things better. Why don't you get involved if it's worrying you so much? If it's just for attention, well I've enjoyed sparring with you this morning!

Again, that is the problem, the state of Stafford is a joke to you but you won't do anything. You cannot have a serious discussion, you see it as 'sparring' just to score points. That is because you have no answers to any of my points, and can find no flaws in my arguments.

 

[Bob]

Well, life is what you make it ultimately. One thing is for certain as we move into a new year is that if we wait for someone else to come along and make everything alright, we'll die waiting. For the moaners, get cracking and do your little bit to make things better. Why don't you get involved if it's worrying you so much? If it's just for attention, well I've enjoyed sparring with you this morning!

How do we get involved? I'd be interested in helping put Stafford back on the map.

 

[HopesDad]

Pandora on Thursday had a long queue of people returning unwanted gifts.

That's not true, Pandora seems to be doing well and so does the previous number 15, I forget the name, people are obviously using and spending money in these place.

 

[HopesDad]

How do we get involved? I'd be interested in helping put Stafford back on the map.

First, buy a bulldozer.....

 

[Bob]

Or possibly exchanging or taking advantage of the new year sale.

You've also got monsoon and Accessorise as well as the big next on the retail park, Stafford people are willing to part with their money in places that aren't b&m.

 

[Bob]

First, buy a bulldozer.....

Seriously, I have agreed with some of what you've said but I think now is the time for you to leave quietly through the back door.

 

[Bob]

First, buy a bulldozer.....

Though to be fair I do actually own 3

 

[proactive]

Again, that is the problem, the state of Stafford is a joke to you but you won't do anything. You cannot have a serious discussion, you see it as 'sparring' just to score points. That is because you have no answers to any of my points, and can find no flaws in my arguments.

So what, exactly, do you do to make things better?

 

[Jonah]

I'm not voting in a poll which is based on the view of a relatively new forum member, who in my opinion, has made this forum a far worse place to visit.

 

[Dabbler]

Well, using the retailers that are in the town would be a good start. The more people who shop in the town, the more other retailers are likely to want to come to the town. Trouble is, the world is changing. People don't shop in markets & shops like they used to to. The internet, lifestyles and tastes have changed all of that. Earlier this year I went back to a place near where I grew up, which had a renowned market. Half of it was completely empty, looked like it was being redeveloped, and there were lots of empty stalls in the half that was being used. We have to look to the future and work out what we want our town centre space to be, then work out how to achieve it.