Garage manager had no idea his business is set to be demolished
THE manager of a Derbyshire town centre garage found out in the news that his business is set to be demolished to make way for houses.
Simon Dalrymple has run the FastFit Autocentre garage in Oxford Street, Long Eaton, for three years and he has a lease to continue running the business for a further three years.
He runs the business with his two sons, Mitchell, 25, and Leon, 19, and says the town centre site provides a key service for residents, carrying out around 80 MOTs a month.
However, Mr Dalrymple was “shocked” and “surprised” to find out in an article written by the Local Democracy Reporting Service that his business is set to be demolished under plans from Erewash Borough Council.
The council wants to demolish the garage as part of plans to redevelop the former Galaxy Row cinema, which sits in Derby
Road, to the rear of the autocentre. It plans to turn the garage part of the site into several “high qual- ity” townhouses.
Mr Dalrymple, who leases the premises, said he was aware of the regeneration plans for the cinema but had received no communication from the council about any proposals to demolish his business.
He said a number of “men in suits” had visited the premises about a month and a half ago taking photos and measurements of the property, but had not identified themselves.
Setting up the business had cost £50,000 and the equipment and works associated with the service would be non-transferable, with an estimated £70,000 at least to set up at another site, Mr Dalrymple said.
He said customers often travel from Burton, Leicester and Derby for MOTs, due to the service provided by him and his sons. He said he will not be able to find another site in Long Eaton town centre, and a plot on an industrial estate would see him competing against other MOT centres.
He also said this would not be as helpful for customers, who he said like to drop off their vehicles and then walk to go shopping while they are serviced.
Mr Dalrymple said: “I was shocked in a sense, especially to find out in the media. We knew the cinema site would be developed but we have just had zero communication from the council.
“It is a bit underhanded and unfair really. We are just carrying on as normal at the moment but we have no idea what is going to happen in the future. Town centre sites are hard to come by and we will not get another town centre site in Long Eaton.
“From what I know, a compulsory purchase would mean we need to be no better off or worse if we are offered another site. I would rather stay. We want to make people aware that we are going to lose a business that people rely on.”
He said if the business was able to move elsewhere it would have to start from scratch.
The plans aim to convert the former cinema, which opened in 1907 as the St James Theatre and closed almost a decade ago, into modern apartments, townhouses and “commercial” space for shops and businesses.
This will be paid for through a successful £25 million bid to the Government’s Town Deal Fund. The Long Eaton Board estimates the project would cost between £5m and £9m.
Borough council papers say the garage site would become townhouses which would “further diversify the mix of the development whilst upholding the principle of high-quality town centre living”. Officers said the Oxford Street side of the site is better for townhouses due to the “quieter and less polluted ground floor conditions”.
In response, Cllr Michael Powell, the borough council’s lead member for regeneration and planning, said: “It is the responsibility of the landlord to inform their tenant, FastFit Autocentre, and not the council.
“The Long Eaton Town Deal Board identified the Galaxy Row Redevelopment as a potential Town Deal project in June 2020.
“Erewash Council subsequently advised the four affected landowners about the project in September 2020 and opened formal negotiations to buy those properties, including the landowner for the FastFit Autocentre, in November 2020. The Town Deal Board then included the project in their Town Investment Plan published in January.”
We want to make people aware we are going to lose a business people rely on.
Simon Dalrymple