Regeneration ‘killing town trade’
Thursday 13th May 2010, 8:54AM BST.
Struggling Wellington traders fear the multi-million pound regeneration of their town will “kill” its historic market, it was claimed today.
Traders at Wellington Market say they have suffered a loss of trade since the onset of the recession.
Part of the regeneration work will see the closure of the archway in Larkin Way and traders claim this will lead to shoppers bypassing the market for the town centre, effectively killing off passing trade.
Workers at market stall Bloomers, who did not wish to be named, said they had seen a significant loss in trade since the regeneration work started and claimed it would “kill” the market.
Another trader said she encouraged the regeneration of the town but said it seemed to be coming at a big cost to the market.
She added: “You should not be able to look at the market on a Saturday afternoon and not see a single person, but that is what happened last weekend.”
“Trade is lower this month than it has ever been.”
But Dave Riley, president of Wellington Chamber of Commerce rejected the claims.
He said the future was as bright as it had been for 30 years in Wellington.
He said he had spoken to one trader in the town whose profits were higher than they had been for seven years, and claimed the relocation of up to 250 council jobs as part of the redevelopment would further boost profits in the town.
Tim Ward, spokesman for the Wellington Market Company which runs the market, said: “We are aware that the market seems to be struggling.”
He added: “We will do all we can to support the market though this transitional period.”
The £8.5 million Civic Quarter development will include a new registry office, a modernised library, refurbished leisure facilities and new office space.
Market Square and New Street will also be repaved and have new lighting, with work starting there next month.
- Are you a trader in Wellington? Are your profits being hit by the regeneration work, or are they higher than they have been ‘for seven years’? Tell us in the comment box below.
By Holly Evans
An artist's impression of the regenerated Wellington Civic Quarter
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Yes. Let’s leave it like it was. Don’t make it better. Let the town rot.
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Can we have some shops that are NOT charity shops.
Wellington is just full of second hand things.
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Larkin Way has been closed weeks, I fail to see how it’s going to make much of a difference to the Market.
This regeneration is long overdue in Wellington, perhaps if we help make the town a viable shopping destination we can put an end to the swarming of the charity shops.
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I have several questions about this ‘Regeneration’ and the ’250 jobs’
Firstly, I have been told the 250 jobs are existing T&W Council jobs relocated from the Glebe Centre, the Registry Office and the other council building by the police station – so they aren’t ‘new’ employment in Wellington, just the council moving staff into new offices.
So what will happen to the other buildings? The Glebe Centre was seriously re-vamped within the last five years – is that money down the drain?
The Registry Office, apart from being a much more appropriate building and away from the general ‘hustle & bustle’ – especially for those registering deaths or looking for a solemn marriage/partnership ceremony without the background hubbub of a leisure centre – will have few future viable uses and probably yet another fine building will be lost.
Secondly, Wellington’s commercial issues are not at the west end of the town centre – they are focused on New Street and the Market Square.
It would have been far better to have invested £8.5m in buying up several larger retail premises along New Street and redeveloping/re-letting them to ‘anchor’ tenants who would have secured retail trade in Wellington.
If all we have done is spend £8.5m on moving 250 Council employees into better offices, ruin the ambiance for both the happiest and the most tragic official business of the population and leave three perfectly good buildings to disuse & rot both T&W and Wellington Councillors have spectacularly failed the community and regenerated – absolutely NOTHING.
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I can’t see how the closure of Larkin Way will affect Market business. Yes it is a through route used by a steady stream of people but we just make our way down Tan Bank instead. Probably the building site atmosphere may be putting people off at the moment but once it is all complete one hopes that it will attract more people to the market.
We need a chain coffee store in Wellington. I am not a fan of chains elsewhere but I have been saying for years this is what the town needs. That or an upmarket independent one…the town needs to attract the wealthier citizens of Wellington in. I have nothing against the less wealthier citizens (of which I am one) but the more wealthy should be contributing more to their local economy by using the town.
It has enough character and kooky shops to have a strong, vibrant centre. The aesthetic changes that are being made should help but the momentum should be continued.
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