Fear that former Woolworths may become archive site

A Market Drayton business leader today called for a rethink on Shropshire Council's rumoured plans to turn the town's empty Woolworths store into an archive.

Andy Brown, vice- chairman of the town's chamber of trade, instead wants any planned archive to go in the town's market hall while the market traders should get a new home at the former Woolworths site in High Street.

Mr Brown, who jointly runs Sports United in Shropshire Street, said speculation was rife among businesses that the council wanted to buy the Woolworths site and use it to store old documents.

But he has warned the move could sound a death knell for the town centre if it loses one its prime retail sites.

He said: "I have heard from a good source that the plan is to use the former Woolworths in town as some sort of archive.

"If that's right then why would they choose a prime retail site like that out of all the possible locations in Shropshire?"

He said that after the £600,000 revamp of the market hall ground to a halt earlier this year, when the developers went into administration, the ideal solution would be to give traders there the chance to move to a new home at the old Woolworths.

The market hall, he said, could then be used as an archive, which would be more fitting as it is "hidden away" off Cheshire Street.

Andrew Stirling, head of property services, at Shropshire Council, refused to comment on rumours about plans for an archive, but he said: "The council is looking at the availability of the former Woolworths building and what options it might be suitable for."