Shropshire trade is booming as new shops open up

Representatives of business in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Wem, Ellesmere, and Market Drayton, have all reported only a handful of empty shops on the high street,

In Shrewsbury's town centre figures from the Business Improvement District (BID) show that the vacancy rate is currently between nine and ten per cent – with the regional benchmark for comparable towns being 10 to 14.9 per cent, according to retail analysts Spring-board.

Kevin Lockwood, the manager of Shrewsbury's Darwin, Pride Hill, and Riverside shopping centres, who is also vice-chair of Shrewsbury Business Chamber, the town is looking strong.

He said: "Having visited a number of towns up and down the country over the past few months we are nowhere near in as bad a situation as others.

"Shrewsbury is holding up very well.

"There seems to be quite a take-up in Shrewsbury and we are known for our independent retailers, when shops become vacant it is not long before they are taken up again."

Mr Lockwood said that the Darwin Shopping Centre had also seen an uptake in interest on the back of the announcement that fashion retailer Primark will be taking up nine units in the precinct.

He said: "With us, since we announced Primark we have had a lot of interest in the centres, particularly the Darwin Centre."

Mr Lockwood said that the Pride Hill Centre is currently nearly 100 per cent occupied.

Chris Jones, centre director at Telford Shopping Centre, sdded: "The shopping centre is trading really well and we currently we have a low vacancy level.

" As is normal in a centre of over one million sq ft, there are a few vacant units, but we are in advanced discussions with retailers with a view to getting these stores trading in time for Christmas."

Mark Whittle, the chairman of Market Drayton Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said empty shops in the town were quickly occupied.

He said: "We have got a fair few new shops that have opened up.

"We are keeping our heads above water by one shop opening soon after one closes.

"We have just had a good outlet in Sports Direct move in which has helped give us a good mix of shops in the town.

"Overall I would say we are slightly ahead with shops opening than they are closing."

Lincoln McMullan, member of Ellesmere Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said the town has only got one empty shop.

He said: "I don't think it will be empty for long and it only closed because someone has moved location in the town.

"It is great to see the town thriving and we are always looking to move forward. I think one of the reasons why we have so few empty shops is because of location – we are dotted in between places like Wrexham, Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

"We have lots of tourists who enjoy the scenery and come and see the canals and The Mere.

"We have got all the facilities we need."

Councillor John Murray, mayor of Wem, said the town seems to have a bright future.

He said: "We haven't got a lot of empty shops at the moment.

"We are fortunate at the moment. A couple have gone recently but a couple more have been taken up.

"It's nice to see new shops get up and running.

"I think people can see Wem has a very bright future and it is nice people are putting their faith into the town."

Hilary Seward, chairman of Whitchurch Chamber of Trade and Commerce, added: "We are doing well and we have not many empty shops at all. I arrived in town three years ago when you could take your pick of shops. We have been very proactive and we have encouraged landlords to do work to their shops and have also given grants to decorate their fronts. The town is thriving."

Oswestry mayor, Councillor Peter Cherrington said he was also pleased that empty shops had been taken up in the town.

He said: "Business is booming in Oswestry and the town is looking good.

"Cross Street, which for so long really let the town down, is looking good at the moment. We've had new shops open up and the former BeWise, which really was an eyesore, has been bought by a London consortium of businessmen who have repaired it," he added.

Russell Griffin, a spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council said all the units its owns are fully let.