NEW STAR WILL HELP THE TOWN CENTRE SHINE!
Traders welcome minimarket at ex-bookie’s
A NEW town centre convenience store is set to open.
Star Minimarket is opening its doors on the corner of Tower Square, in Tunstall, after snapping up the former William Hill bookmaker’s.
Traders have welcomed the latest arrival to the town centre.
Its bright red sign certainly stands out within Tunstall’s conservation area and opposite the town hall.
Oasis Travel co-owner Andy Dean, aged 46, said: “I’m pleased – it’s better than it being empty.
“We want to see people come out and shopping on the high street rather than Uber-ing a pint of milk.
“My daughter sits at home and orders things online, but I think it’s good to see shops open and busy. When you work on the high street that’s what you want.
“We don’t know when it’s going to be open. But the next thing we want is car parking free of charge – you have to pay to shop on the high street whereas the retail park is free. If the car park in Tunstall was free it would be rammed.”
Star minimarket comes complete with security shutters – despite Stokeon-trent City Council banning other Tower Square businesses from having them.
Oasis Travel co-owner Heidi Evans, aged 48, said: “I’ve emailed our MP Jonathan Gullis because they’ve put up shutters and no one else is allowed them. We’ve been told we can’t have shutters. It’s something to do with the heritage.”
Tunstall has been the subject of a barrage of anti-social behaviour linked to the temporary homeless hostel at Lily Gertrude Simister Court.
But traders say it closed a few weeks ago and the situation has improved.
Phil Clowes, who owns Hemmings Jewellers, welcomed the minimarket.
The 54-year-old said: “I think that the majority of the trouble is going to fizzle out now Lily Gertrude has closed. We had trouble with people sleeping in the doorway because there were rules to say certain homeless people couldn’t stay there if they had problems.
“But since Lily Gertrude has closed a lot of the anti-social element seems to have disappeared.” He added: “We need to bring back the buzz and the positivity to Tunstall. We need to encourage people back to the area.”