Mall looks set to shut after talks fail

Campaigners fighting to stop the closure of a town’s shopping centre say the heart will be ripped out of their community if it shuts.

West Lothian Council had been in discussions with the owners of the Mill Centre in Blackburn about buying the mall.

The council currently leases the centre from pension trustees of builders G Dunbar and Sons but that lease runs out next year.

G Dunbar and Sons say the Mill Centre is no longer viable as a shopping centre.

Lengthy discussions between the company and council officials ended last week when they failed to reach an agreement and the council’s offer to purchase the centre was rejected by the owners.

A further offer to lease the Mill Centre was rejected by the pension trustees.

Proposals by the council to purchase new units as part of any redevelopment or land for the council to construct new units have also been rejected.

The owners of the Mill Centre said they intend to go ahead with redevelopment proposals to provide 37 housing units and one shop, possibly a pharmacy.

The residential units would be delivered in partnership with a housing association.

The pension trustees will take possession of the Mill Centre in February. They said they will offer new leases or lease extensions to existing tenants while they progress their redevelopment proposals.

But one local, who asked not to be named, said people in the town are devastated at the future loss of the centre.

He said: “The company is putting greed before people. The community is devastated by this. It will rip the heart out of Blackburn.

“These are independent shops that will close along with the post office, which is used by many elderly people to pay rent and things.

“There will be no amenities in Blackburn when the Mill Centre closes. What’s the point in building new houses if there are no amenities to serve them?”

West Lothian Council’s head of finance and property services Donald Forrest said the local authority had explored all the options available to them.

He said the council will now press ahead with proposals to help develop new shops in Blackburn town centre.

Any proposals will look at using council land, including consideration of the existing car park, the former petrol station site and the former community centre site.

Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: “The council appreciates the importance of appropriate viable retail provision in Blackburn town centre.

“Officers will continue to support existing retailers, including looking at the potential for alternative retail provision in the town.

“The council will also carry out works at council-owned properties to enhance their marketability for development and continue to promote a wider approach to regenerating the town centre. This will involve working closely with the business community.”

We contacted G Dunbar and Sons but at the time of going to press we had not had a response.