Princes Street- the square by Home Bargains

[ATJ]

Popped in to town today and I noticed that the square at the top of Princess Street (Home Bargains/ Argos/ Sports Direct) has had all the paving ripped up and has been replaced with tarmac, and the benches have gone.

Does anyone know why? Or what the plans are for up there?

I ask because it looks so shoddy, and there's still barriers everywhere, so it can't possibly be the finished product. Are there plans afoot to tart up the area with some nice new paving slabs, to match the rest of town?

 

[Gramaisc]

Popped in to town today and I noticed that the square at the top of Princess Street (Home Bargains/ Argos/ Sports Direct) has had all the paving ripped up and has been replaced with tarmac, and the benches have gone.

Does anyone know why? Or what the plans are for up there?

I ask because it looks so shoddy, and there's still barriers everywhere, so it can't possibly be the finished product. Are there plans afoot to tart up the area with some nice new paving slabs, to match the rest of town?

According to Mohawk Pete - that area, known as the Litter Vortex, belongs to Gaolgate Place and is not served by Street Scene. The litter bin went some months ago, then the seats round the tree and finally the paviors were taken up. He believes that there were some issues with people tripping over and so the current 'improvement' is the result. I suspect that that is almost the finished product, as there were the tyre-marks of a sweeper visible there this morning. There may still be a bit of finishing off round the tree....

There was also talk of there being complaints about 'alcoholics frequenting the area', hence the removal of the seats, but I've never seen any supporting evidence for that theory..

 

[ATJ]

According to Mohawk Pete - that area, known as the Litter Vortex, belongs to Gaolgate Place and is not served by Street Scene. The litter bin went some months ago, then the seats round the tree and finally the paviors were taken up. He believes that there were some issues with people tripping over and so the current 'improvement' is the result. I suspect that that is almost the finished product, as there were the tyre-marks of a sweeper visible there this morning. There may still be a bit of finishing off round the tree....

There was also talk of there being complaints about 'alcoholics frequenting the area', hence the removal of the seats, but I've never seen any supporting evidence for that theory..

Aw, that's thoroughly depressing, in every way.

What is it with companies thinking that the way to improve the customer experience of an area is to remove all seating?

Can't the council invoke some 'don't make our town centre look shit' clause and make them do a proper job of it? It looks horrible

 

[Gramaisc]

Aw, that's thoroughly depressing, in every way.

What is it with companies thinking that the way to improve the customer experience of an area is to remove all seating?

Can't the council invoke some 'don't make our town centre look shit' clause and make them do a proper job of it? It looks horrible

I agree. It is, indeed, appallingly bad, but, with the current rate of exodus of retail outlets, I wonder if the Council might be a bit frightened about upsetting them. It can't be long before Argos goes, surely...

 

[ATJ]

I agree. It is, indeed, appallingly bad, but, with the current rate of exodus of retail outlets, I wonder if the Council might be a bit frightened about upsetting them. It can't be long before Argos goes, surely...

I can't see that it would be worth the owners' time to threaten anything in response to the council asking them to make it look nice. I mean, it would be cutting off their own nose to leave retail space empty in retaliation. Surely the decision of Argos whether to keep two shops in Stafford has nothing to do with the council's interactions with the landlord?


Google tells me it's owned by Aviva Investments. So decision made by someone in an office 200 miles away then.

 

[Gramaisc]

The old Connexions shop has been empty for around five/six years, the furniture shop a year or two, the two little shops next to Home Bargains have never had a tenant since they were built. If Argos does go, which it surely must, then that little area will look even sadder - and now they've 'improved ' it by making it look even worse - I'm only surprised that the tree was left.

It does rather make you wonder if they actually want it to succeed?

 

[ATJ]

The old Connexions shop has been empty for around five/six years, the furniture shop a year or two, the two little shops next to Home Bargains have never had a tenant since they were built. If Argos does go, which it surely must, then that little area will look even sadder - and now they've 'improved ' it by making it look even worse - I'm only surprised that the tree was left.

It does rather make you wonder if they actually want it to succeed?

If they're after a sales profit, you'd think they'd make more money selling a successful, fully rented out, unit.

Unless they're trying to run it down to get planning permission for something else.

Ah, conspiracies.

 

[salta19]

Hi there
The area is owned by crushman and wakefield . The current works are refurbishment they are putting new benches in and current works are to do up connections to make it more attractive. As for argos it has lease till 2019 so it will not be going anywhere very often and in fact performs quite well.

 

[Hetairoi]

Hi there
The area is owned by crushman and wakefield . The current works are refurbishment they are putting new benches in and current works are to do up connections to make it more attractive. As for argos it has lease till 2019 so it will not be going anywhere very often and in fact performs quite well.

How do you know all this?

 

[Jonah]

I remember when there was a big seating area when it was the Sheridan Centre. But it was taken out years ago because owners of shopping centres in Stafford seem to prefer removing all seating rather than giving their customers a place to rest before doing some more shopping.

The Guild Hall owners removed all seating and thus in one fell swoop made it a big long corridor instead of a place to spend time in.

Can you imagine the owners of the Trafford Centre removing all the seating? No, nor me.

 

[Gramaisc]

The area is owned by crushman and wakefield .

This website - http://ukproperty.cushwakeproperty.com/ - doesn't admit to any property in Stafford, as far as I can see..


..and yet http://alpha.completelyretail.co.uk:8080/portfolio/Aviva/scheme/4108 does..

 

[salta19]

My sources are home retail group and crushman and wakefield themselves . They may list there lets through other companies . The area is supposed to be given a med theme with lights in the tree too

 

[Gramaisc]

The area is supposed to be given a med theme with lights in the tree too

That sounds nice - looking forward to it being completed.

This is how it used to look, before Connexions, the bin, the seats and the paving went.

http://www.citikey.co.uk/display/connexions-EKJ95

Any artist's impressions of the finished product?

 

[Trumpet]

CUSHMAN & Wakefield (formerley Cushman, Wakefield, Healey & Baker are, I believe Managing agents and will probably be managing the site for the true landlord.

 

[tek-monkey]

Pretty sure there are C&W signs in all the empty units now?

 

[wmrcomputers]

Many a time i've sat on that bench eating an icecream, when a wasp has come straight out of the bin at me and i've had to run like a whippet up the precinct! (or throw my icecream on the floor in the direction of some chavs)
Happy days

 

[shoes]

Woolworths.. those were the days!

 

[loular]

I went past connextions today and it looks like they are doing something in there I saw them levelling the floor out, is it going to be a shop or just another wasted project ?

 

[Tumble weed]

Some boff was in there the other day checking out the work and chatting to the workmen. I'd like to think a big retailer has shown an interest, hence the improvements to the area before any contract is officially signed, but it's probably just nothing.

 

[Becky Draws]

It's not the NANDOS that is consistently rumoured to be opening is it? I've never eaten at one but it always tickles me how excited everyone gets when there is a possibility of one opening...what do they put in their chicken?