As arguments drag on over town’s future, what will happen to us?
TRADERS at the Concourse Shopping Centre in Skelmersdale have spoken out over their fears for the future as they face being the silent victims of broken promises and battling developers.
Business owners at the centre told how they felt unable to plan for the future and feared for the impending loss of their own livelihoods.
While developers and politicians talk of plans to build a town centre featuring stores such as Lidl and B&M Bargains, shop owners believe they have been left without a voice on plans which will have a dramatic impact on them.
Plans to develop a new town centre for Skelmersdale have been in the pipeline for more than 10 years and, when a High Court battle with the Concourse management ended in December, 2016, the path was cleared for a multi-million pound regeneration to take place.
Under the proposals, which are being carried out by developer St Modwen Properties and have the backing of West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper, a new high street will link the existing town centre to West Lancashire College; environmental improvements will be made to the Tawd Valley at the heart of the scheme; and a new night-time economy will be introduced, with 100,000sq ft of retail and leisure, including a cinema operated by Reel.
The Concourse, meanwhile, has ambitious plans of its own, including the addition of its own cinema, and new food and drink outlets.
Some of the traders who spoke to the Advertiser revealed concerns that their businesses could be destroyed by the planned development of Skelmersdale town centre, while others instead suspect that those plans, along with proposals to invest in the Concourse, will simply add to a list of broken promises that have preceded them.
While there were suggestions the town centre plan should not go ahead, it was also argued that it could be beneficial to all if the developers worked in conjunction with those at the Concourse, rather than in opposition.
Andy Taylor, who owns the Thoughts That Count card shop in the Concourse, with wife, Nicola, feels let down that he and fellow traders have been left out of the loop with developments both in the shopping centre and the town centre.
According to Andy, a request for independent businesses to be able to operate in the new town centre has been knocked back in favour of national and international chains, while there is a strong belief among some that the new development could actually harm the town’s retail sector.
Instead, he argues, more should be done to revitalise the Concourse and make better use of the empty units.
Andy, along with Debbie Reynolds, who runs the Asia world food shop and cafe, feels that not enough consideration has been given to the Concourse traders in planning the town centre and feels particularly upset with Ms Cooper for not consulting more with them.
He said: “You’ve got all these shops in here that you can’t fill, so why build more over there? It will kill it, absolutely. To be honest, I’ve not met anyone who’s said different.
“B&M is exactly the same as Home Bargains. How’s it going to attract more people? It’s not, it’s just going to move them across.”
Former army mechanic Andy says footfall at the Concourse was badly affected when the Post Office relocated to the nearby Asda and believes other North West towns have suffered as a result of similar developments.
“Do you think by building another retail park, it’s going to detract from here? Of course it is. Look at Prescot, it wiped the town centre out.
“We’re committed to this place, but who’s committed to helping us? I put £20,000 into the business on my house, which I’m still paying off.”
He added: “It’s our livelihood, yet no-one’s listening to us, no-one’s giving us a voice, no-one’s asking what we think.
“It’s going to decimate independent businesses here. It’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s going to wipe out every independent business here. Rosie Cooper should be ashamed of herself.”
Paul Davies, who has run the Sweet Stand for eight years, says he is less concerned by the planned town centre as he remains sceptical it will ever come to fruition. Instead, his worries primarily relate to a lack of investment in the Concourse harming the existing businesses.
He said: “I’m not concerned because I’ve been listening to it for eight years but at the back of my mind, it’s a worry because it’s going to cost us.
“If they are going to build it, the retail is going to hurt us. They say it’s going to add jobs, it’s going to cost more jobs than that here.
“It seems the people who own the market and St Modwen’s, together they’re just making things worse for the shops.
“When they’ve got the capacity here, I don’t see why they want to move things. Something needs to be done, rather than just empty promises.”
He added: “Everybody’s saying they’re going to do this or that, but nothing happens. I believe something will happen because they’re spending money but, on the other hand, if it’s not happened yet, when will it?
“We just need answers. I can’t look to the future because I need to know if I can stay here.
“There’s lots of empty units here. What’s going to happen if this goes ahead?
“There’ll be a retail park and this place will suffer. There’s not going to be more jobs because, if you take all the jobs which will