John Lewis closure ‘due to Clean Air Zone’, claimTories
BIRMINGHAM’S proposed Clean Air Zone may have prompted the closure of the John Lewis store in Birmingham city centre, it has been claimed. And the announcement could be the beginning of a ‘flight’ of businesses from Birmingham, the city’s Conservative Group fear, as a result of the ‘‘anti-business practices’’ of the ruling Labour party.
John Lewis announced last week that it would be closing its flagship store in Grand Central, above New Street Station. Its Tamworth store and six others across the country will also shut.
But deputy leader of the Conservative group, Councillor Ewan Mackey, said he believed that the council’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) would have played a role in the retailer’s decision.
“Obviously decisions like this are long-term decisions made by John Lewis, they don’t take a decision like this based on a knee-jerk reaction.
“And we’ve been concerned for a while with some of the anti-business practices of the Labour administration here at the council.
“I mean, the CAZ is going to start charging people for coming into the area, and we’re at a time when the Government are telling people to be careful on public transport.
“The Solihull store is being kept open, but there are no charges to travel into Solihull and there are no plans to do so.
“They have lower car parking charges as well. Solihull is a lot more business friendly than Birmingham and this is something that’s been growing for a while.
“I think John Lewis are looking to rationalise their stores, and they’re taking a long-term view here.
“They’re seeing that Solihull is an area that is business-friendly, somewhere that they’re happy to invest in, and you’ve got Birmingham’s Labour-run council that’s not so business-friendly.”
He added: “Businesses have said they’re concerned about the cost of getting goods into their stores, and I think sadly this could be the beginning of a flight that we’re about to see from Birmingham as businesses are looking to relocate into town centres that listen to their concerns and are more customer and business friendly.”
But the leader of the council hit back at the claims, calling the Conservatives’ suggestion ‘‘political point scoring’’ and ‘‘groundless speculation’’.
Cllr Ian Ward said: “It speaks volumes that, while I’m seeking talks with John Lewis aimed at saving jobs, the city’s Tories have opted instead to engage in political point scoring with this misinformation.
“This is a hugely challenging time for the high street, with many retailers announcing cuts right across the country. They need support, not groundless speculation.
“The Clean Air Zone is a Government-mandated scheme, but sadly Birmingham Conservatives are unwilling to support our efforts to clean the city’s air.”
A John Lewis spokesman would not comment on speculation. Meanwhile, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street – a former managing director of John Lewis – has vowed to battle to get the store chain to reverse the “dreadful mistake”.
He said: “The city is one of the top three in the whole of the UK for retail, with high footfall and many other retailers thriving in recent years. Against this backdrop it is extremely disappointing that John Lewis & Partners has not been able to make a success of its flagship Birmingham store.
“But my belief in its potential is unwavering, and I still believe the store can not only be a great success, but also provide a brilliant retail offer for the city and the wider region.
“At this stage the closure is still only a proposal, and one which I believe risks being a dreadful mistake. “Therefore I will be making the case for why the company should not give up this tremendous opportunity in Birmingham.”