Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Wrexham has s serious problem with vacant units and in fact was higher than the national average, and that was last year.

It has a serious well publicised problem with smack heads shooting up in the day.

Not sure where you are but it doesn't sound like Wrexham lol
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Wrexham has s serious problem with vacant units and in fact was higher than the national average, and that was last year.

It has a serious well publicised problem with smack heads shooting up in the day.

Not sure where you are but it doesn't sound like Wrexham lol
The drug problem in Wrexham is largely centred on the bus station - we are lucky enough not to have such a suitable venue.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
if one thought the guildhall had problems l, Wrexham has a shopping centre that was completely EMPTY last year, the the council were trying to save it.

I don't think much has moved. Wrexham couldn't be further from street lined opened shops
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Wrexham has s serious problem with vacant units and in fact was higher than the national average, and that was last year.

It has a serious well publicised problem with smack heads shooting up in the day.

Not sure where you are but it doesn't sound like Wrexham lol

We went through the majority of the town centre and can assure you that there weren't many vacant shops, certainly compared to walking through Stafford. Also there was also a greater variation of independent type shops than the usual abundance of mobile phone and coffee shops.

Yes I did have reservations about the "locals" from previous visits to the town whilst en route to the races but these proved to be unfounded. Yes we did see a few unsightlys around the two Spoons pubs but no more than most ex mining community towns. In any this has got F all to do with the occupation of the shops unless you are suggesting that the more snack heads in a town the more shops you have filled, are you?

May I suggest you get off your butt and try visiting places to see for yourself instead of just quoting meaningless stats?
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
if one thought the guildhall had problems l, Wrexham has a shopping centre that was completely EMPTY last year, the the council were trying to save it.

I don't think much has moved. Wrexham couldn't be further from street lined opened shops

My childhood town had two shopping centres with a bridge between it. One half was very modernised but the rents were ramped up so much that every single shop left. It was an empty centre for 5 years or so, very bizarre to walk through.
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
My childhood town had two shopping centres with a bridge between it. One half was very modernised but the rents were ramped up so much that every single shop left. It was an empty centre for 5 years or so, very bizarre to walk through.

Do you mean Wrexham or another town?
 

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
To be fair... expecting a rate relief when the business isn’t a charity is a bit silly.
It is about where the proceeds go - If your property is used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes, you are automatically entitled to an 80% reduction of your bill (mandatory relief), though you will need to apply to the Council to make sure you receive it. In addition, the Council may award discretionary rate relief for all or part of the remaining 20% of the bill (discretionary relief). If the property is a charity shop, the property must be wholly or mainly used for the sale of goods donated to the charity and the proceeds must be applied to the purposes of the charity. - rather than the status of the organisation directly involved.

https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/business-rates-reductions-and-relief

They seem to operate on exactly this basis in other areas.

I wonder how many other charity shops are operating in the same 'devolved' manner?

I do also wonder why military helicopter assets are not used in this manner, whilst we're not invading anybody?



 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
To be fair... expecting a rate relief when the business isn’t a charity is a bit silly.
Well it's a charity shop. All air ambulance shops are. Other towns have been able to reach an accomodation, Stafford hasn't.

The borough council has a shit attitude to all traders and businesses. If you haven't discovered that for yourself already them it's only a matter of time before you do, I'm afraid.

It's why instead of expanding my business interests in Stafford and creating 9 additional jobs in Stafford, I moved to the Shrewsbury area and took the 6 existing Stafford jobs with me.
 

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
It's all rather academic as Business Rates go to the government rather than the Council - for now. My guess is that the Council are preparing for the time when they get to keep the Business Rates, the last thing they would want to do is give free space away so losing a "charity" shop is a good business move. Given the amount of new stock I now see in Charity shops I would question whether they should all be entitled to the relief in any case. Selling new stock from the same suppliers that other Retailers buy from without the business costs of standard Retailers is simply not fair.
 
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