Newtown ‘ghost town’ warning as stores shut
Thursday 4th August 2011, 6:59PM BST.
Newtown could become a “ghost town” if more is not done to support businesses, it was said today. The warning came amid claims shops are continuing to shut because owners can no longer afford to keep going.
Philip Glynn, from Newtown, said he’d been told that more than half a dozen people had been left out of work over the last few weeks because several shops had closed.
He said: “CK Foods closed in the Ladywell Shopping Centre last weekend and a long-established bakery in the same centre has also closed its doors for a final time.
“The news is a further blow to the town centre which has seen numerous shops close over recent months. More needs to be done to stop these businesses from closing and I think the Government really needs to start to think about reducing the rates.
“We are in some very difficult times and I fear that Newtown could end up becoming a ghost town sooner rather than later.”
Annie Morris, of Newtown, said she often struggled to find the things she needed in Newtown. She said: “I’m starting to travel outside of town a lot more because of it.”
Russell George, AM for Montgomeryshire, said he had been doing all he could to promote a “pop-up shops” idea to combat empty premises.
He said the idea involved vacant shops “popping-up” to rent on short lets.
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So Ck Foods and a bakery closed, is it any suprise now that a tesco has moved into the town, when will coucillours alike get to terms with is , out of town supermarkets equals town centre independant closing down.
say you only have £40 for food a week, if you spend it in tesco, you not going to go into town, pay of parking, and spend more.
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