Shopping centre despite fears
Nuxley Toys has been a fixture in Gravesend for 42 years.
Manager Richard Ray, son of owners Jean and Dave, has seen a lot of changes and challenges during his time in the family business.
“All towns are changing,” he said. “There are a lot of different kind of shops than there used to be, like nail bars and hairdressers.
“A lot of the brands have left and now we have a lot of cheaper shops – like B&M and Bargain Buys – and that is not a bad thing for the town. It gives people more choice.”
The opening of Bluewater on March 16, 1999, has had little effect on his business, he said, but councillors in Gravesham tend to disagree.
Last month, neighbouring Dartford Borough Council approved plans to grow the West Village area of the mall, which it is claimed will create 2,300 jobs.
To secure planning approval, the shopping centre promised to make payments to town centres that could lose customers due to the expansion.
David Turner is not convinced. He has been leader of Gravesham Borough Council for a little over a fortnight but has sat on the council for 41 years. He said: “It is about the potential impact on the town centre in Gravesend. If we lose the major stores, that will hurt the viability of other shops and that is what we have got to guard against.”
Cllr Turner’s concerns are understandable. In 2014, Marks & Spencer closed after more than 100 years in the town, saying it was no longer financially viable.
The retailer has one of three flagship stores at Bluewater, alongside John Lewis and House of Fraser. Its Gravesend site has since been replaced by discount retailer B&M. Gravesend was hurt again last year when BHS, next door to the old M&S store, closed. Despite Cllr Turner’s reservations, many people in the district – and beyond – have thrived thanks to Bluewater.
Its on-site jobcentre, the Learning Shop, has found jobs for more than 46,000 people since it opened, trained almost 20,000 people and awarded more than 15,000 qualifications.
More than 40% of people who have benefited from The Learning Shop are from Dartford and Gravesham, with 85% from north Kent. When Bluewater opened,