Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

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Enjoying a drop of red.

Stafford councillor tells social media users to 'stop with the negativity' about town centre​

By Kerry AshdownStaffordBusinessPublished: 22 hours agoLast Updated: 10 hours ago
A councillor has urged social media users to “stop with the negativity” when commenting on a town centre.
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Stafford Market

Stafford Market
The market in the Guildhall Shopping Centre, in Market Square, Stafford, was bought by property enterprise Mercia Real Estate earlier this year.
Since then a number of stores in the centre have closed, including The Works, Claire’s and Poundland, but at the September meeting of the borough council's economic development and planning scrutiny committee members were told the indoor market’s future was “perfectly safe”.
A new report shows that the council’s indoor market income is currently £20,000 lower than budgeted for.
Speaking at Tuesday’s committee meeting Councillor Marnie Phillips said: "When people are talking about Stafford town centre there’s got to be a negative spin on social media, people voicing their concerns. I think there needs to be a positive perspective now.
“Stop with the negativity – people are not going to shop in these places if everybody’s telling them there’s no reason to go there. The reality is there is every reason to go there, just as there was every reason to go there before.
“I think we need to be encouraging more positives, to come and shop in the market and support these local businesses who are working really hard to earn a living and support themselves and their families. Stop listening to so much negativity around it all.”

Councillor Dee McNaughton said: “I have had a number of inquiries from members of my ward who want to know what is going on at the Guildhall and the market. People are not going in because they think it’s closed.”

In reply the council’s economic growth and strategic partnership manager Michelle Smith said: “In terms of the Guildhall Centre somebody in the private sector has bought it and they have lost units within there because they have plans for the site of their own. In time it will come into the public domain what they want to do with that site.
“What we do know is that any retailers that are still within the Guildhall that are looking to relocate within the town centre will be helped to relocate to something that suits them. I think we just need to wait a little bit longer to see what the owners of that site’s plans are.”
The council’s head of operations Robert Simpson said: “We’re working with market traders as much as possible and looking for new traders to come into the market. Yes, there has been issues with footfall into there but the market manager and assistant are doing everything possible to keep the market as vibrant as possible.
“We’re not increasing market rents in the fees and charges in the new year.”
Proof, if any were needed, that many councillors are in fact clueless, incompetent, fuckwits.

Still, it's reassuring that the failing market is safe, so there's no need to take action there...
 

Theresa Green

Well-Known Forumite
Is the Marnie quoted a DJ on Spiritulist FM?

If yes

Maybe she can heal the negative space

Nice

Perhaps play some piped Sigur Ros as the rain hits the broken slabs

Great

Or invite or our local MP to perform some street art through the Sheridan Centre

Jazz Club
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite

Stafford councillor tells social media users to 'stop with the negativity' about town centre​

By Kerry AshdownStaffordBusinessPublished: 22 hours agoLast Updated: 10 hours ago
A councillor has urged social media users to “stop with the negativity” when commenting on a town centre.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter!


Stafford Market

Stafford Market
The market in the Guildhall Shopping Centre, in Market Square, Stafford, was bought by property enterprise Mercia Real Estate earlier this year.
Since then a number of stores in the centre have closed, including The Works, Claire’s and Poundland, but at the September meeting of the borough council's economic development and planning scrutiny committee members were told the indoor market’s future was “perfectly safe”.
A new report shows that the council’s indoor market income is currently £20,000 lower than budgeted for.
Speaking at Tuesday’s committee meeting Councillor Marnie Phillips said: "When people are talking about Stafford town centre there’s got to be a negative spin on social media, people voicing their concerns. I think there needs to be a positive perspective now.
“Stop with the negativity – people are not going to shop in these places if everybody’s telling them there’s no reason to go there. The reality is there is every reason to go there, just as there was every reason to go there before.
“I think we need to be encouraging more positives, to come and shop in the market and support these local businesses who are working really hard to earn a living and support themselves and their families. Stop listening to so much negativity around it all.”

Councillor Dee McNaughton said: “I have had a number of inquiries from members of my ward who want to know what is going on at the Guildhall and the market. People are not going in because they think it’s closed.”

In reply the council’s economic growth and strategic partnership manager Michelle Smith said: “In terms of the Guildhall Centre somebody in the private sector has bought it and they have lost units within there because they have plans for the site of their own. In time it will come into the public domain what they want to do with that site.
“What we do know is that any retailers that are still within the Guildhall that are looking to relocate within the town centre will be helped to relocate to something that suits them. I think we just need to wait a little bit longer to see what the owners of that site’s plans are.”
The council’s head of operations Robert Simpson said: “We’re working with market traders as much as possible and looking for new traders to come into the market. Yes, there has been issues with footfall into there but the market manager and assistant are doing everything possible to keep the market as vibrant as possible.
“We’re not increasing market rents in the fees and charges in the new year.”
Give us something nice to say about it and we will?
 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
God knows what the heating bill must come to in the market area but its like walking into an oven there.
Always been like that though.
That's why there's so many pensioners sat there on market days, it's cheaper catch the bus into town, sit in the market under the heaters, than it is to heat their own homes!
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Since when did all the car parks start charging at night? I know its only a quid but it's yet another reason to not be there when the retail units are free.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
Since when did all the car parks start charging at night? I know its only a quid but it's yet another reason to not be there when the retail units are free.
Just at the beginning of covid, but as everyone was in lock down it was free until lock down was lifted. Park on Sainsbury, pop in after & buy a random essential.... Nappies?.... and get your parking back, voilà - free parking.
 

Raven

Well-Known Forumite
Since when did all the car parks start charging at night? I know its only a quid but it's yet another reason to not be there when the retail units are free.
Since the dimwits who only think about how to fleece the motorists have the ability to make the rules.
 

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
Oh my god! I'm genuinely shocked. Bryan was a lovely man and always fun and a big character.

My condolences to his family and all that knew him. Awful news.
 
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c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
Yesterday Halfords purchased National Tyres for £62million, therefore expect at some point for either the existing National Tyres place on Greyfriars or the Halfords Autocare Centre on Greyfriars to go....
 
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