Views on town centre future:

[tek-monkey]

However as the internet and online shopping expands town centres are shrinking and will continue to do so, in future this may have to be an option.

This is what I fail to understand, why expand the town centre if the internet is killing the trade? All the big names have websites, you don't need to visit them so luring them to the town seem a really odd thing to do. We're also at risk of completely isolating Greyfriars/Marston road, just losing the post office there has massively dropped footfall.

The only path I can see is Stafford becoming islands of retail park in a sea of houses, and everyone will need a car just to shop. But hey, I'm sure the Western Relief Road will fix all our traffic woes.

 

[proactive]

This is what I fail to understand, why expand the town centre if the internet is killing the trade? All the big names have websites, you don't need to visit them so luring them to the town seem a really odd thing to do. We're also at risk of completely isolating Greyfriars/Marston road, just losing the post office there has massively dropped footfall.

The only path I can see is Stafford becoming islands of retail park in a sea of houses, and everyone will need a car just to shop. But hey, I'm sure the Western Relief Road will fix all our traffic woes.

But not everybody wants to buy on the internet. You certainly can't try before you buy on the internet, and returns policies seem to be anything but hassle free!

I will happily buy on the internet, but Mrs proactive sees shopping as some sort of social event to be done with friends and involving food and drink.

At the end of the day these shops will only come to town if they think there is profit in it for them. Clearly some still do (they must have seen Mrs proactive's credit card bills)!

 

[Steve_b]

Well the Gatehouse is doing very nicely and has had no trouble attracting talent such as russell kane, jason manford, lee evans, jack dee, russell howard and milton jones to name a few. the intimate setting has made stafford a hub for these to trial run their material before tours so is a unique setting in itself. Amongst everything the gatehouse I see as no issue at all, the lack of leisure elsewhere I agree with and is not covered at all.

I wasn't getting at the Gatehouse, I meant could we not benefit from a Larger Venue to attract The Tour as well as the trial runs? I do attend the Gatehouse when I can.

 

[PPPPPP]

What was the idea of the Bus?

The idea was to run people over if they said anything rude about Stafford. Unfortunately, it got stuck in the town's fantastic traffic jams.

 

[markpa12003]

Steve B, I would love the old library to be brought back into use as a music / entertainment venue. It's a fantastic building and it should be brought back into use.

I understand that the old library is in private ownership ('crying shame'), however nothing has happened with the site for a number of years now. I would love the Council to consider compulsory purchasing property to bring it back into a much needed community use.

The Council have shown their willingness to CPO buildings, so why not this one?

 

[tek-monkey]

Because it isn't owned by a mate who can make a nice profit? Or maybe simply because they can't bulldoze it and start from scratch, they don't want the hassle of actually fixing them up.

 

[markpa12003]

Tek, I think the Council won't CPO the building because they don't think they can make a significant profit from it and lack the ambition to do it.

 

[tek-monkey]

I doubt the council will make a profit on the cpo's anyway, the profit will be made by businesses while the taxpayer balances any shortfalls.

 

[Gramaisc]

It is slightly annoying that they sold a building that we were given and so little benefit seems to have resulted.

 

[McPhee]

Option 3 with Option 2's Guildhall plan. Undoubtedly the best option. Stafford has too much undesirable retail space. Bulldozing some of it is a far better option than 'animating' the vacant shop fronts. Personally, I think a small university campus would make a much better addition to the north of the town than another car park. Leisure units? Not going to happen. We're getting a new cinema. We have an existing bowling alley. An Ice Rink would be nice, but the north end of the town centre is the wrong location. A new theatre would be utterly pointless and one of those decisions we'd all be bemoaning in 20 years time when they bulldoze the gatehouse because it has fallen out of use.

Adding another food retailer to the town centre would be silly. How about a 'Food Hall' in the market instead? Give local businesses a chance to fill the void for once...

 

[Gramaisc]

How about a 'Food Hall' in the market instead? Give local businesses a chance to fill the void for once...

What I think of as the back of the 'new' Market was intended to be a Food Hall, but it has slowly fallen into disuse and vacant stalls.

 

[Steve_b]

Steve B, I would love the old library to be brought back into use as a music / entertainment venue. It's a fantastic building and it should be brought back into use.

I understand that the old library is in private ownership ('crying shame'), however nothing has happened with the site for a number of years now. I would love the Council to consider compulsory purchasing property to bring it back into a much needed community use.

The Council have shown their willingness to CPO buildings, so why not this one?

It was going to be a Restaurant, seems to have collapsed. I agree, it would make a great venue and it's in a great location

 

[Steve_b]

Adding another food retailer to the town centre would be silly. How about a 'Food Hall' in the market instead? Give local businesses a chance to fill the void for once...

Agree, with Morrison's coming, I wouldn't want to see yet another roof retailer either. There used to be a food hall at the back of the old market, bring it all back!

 

[tek-monkey]

I thought they pulled out?

As for food retailers, what about some places you can grab a portable lunch? If I could wander into the market at lunchtime and get some indian/carribean/mexican food that I could eat on the go I'd be in there. Anyone tried the Tequitos in the Bean Encounter? Lovely! Give me that stuff on a walk away basis, there has to be a market for it (maybe in the market!).

 

[Gramaisc]

I thought they pulled out?

No official statement has been made to that effect, as far as I know.

Widespread rumours, though - possibly all from the same source, of course.

 

[Augfornov]

Seem to recall recently one of the local rags linking the tree cutting on the queensway car park to prep work by the developers.

 

[Gramaisc]

Seem to recall recently one of the local rags linking the tree cutting on the queensway car park to prep work by the developers.

It was, but they're not exactly leaping at it...

 

[PPPPPP]

Possibly they're waiting for our ever-generous council to chip in with a million or two as an incentive, as at Riverslide?

 

[Gareth]

Not seen anything rumour or otherwise about morrisons you sure you are not thinking of debenhams.

they are not in any rush to build morrisons as they can not until the multi storey is as good as built as north walls is now the major car park in town. The next set of work scheduled to take place at north walls as reported in local press 2 weeks ago will be demolition of the health centre and housing which will be late sept to october. Path closures will obviously be in place.

 

[Gareth]

The money sbc spent on riverside was well under 2 million and a great investment. It would have cost as much to get tesco car park back in use and look and what we would have been left with, instead for the same cost we are getting major investment, development, brand stores, enhancement of a run down area and a shed load of employment. Huge cock up by the council there then.......rolling of eyes.