Another nail in Barnsley town centre's coffin... What a dump it has become.

News on radio this morning.... fanfares, great news..... Littlewoods shop (one fondly remembered along with so many others from my childhood, 1960s, 1970s) is now turned into a Poundland.

"a pound please, do you need a bag?"

FFS.

 

http://v2.barnsleyfc.org.uk/showthread.php?161135-Mary-Portas-cites-Barnsley-Market-as-role-model.

 

To be fair it is only short term let and although I agree with your point a shop that's open is always better than one boarded us

 

The changing face of the British high street. Most of them are **** holes these days.

 

I was rooting for a greggs, a charity shop or a discount card shop. bugger.

 

Wait til Costa Coffee opens soon, you'll be able to sit in the window with a latte and watch all the smackheads going for their needle exchange.

 

Quality!

Another step closer to making our town a nicer place to be..... ANOTHER cheapo shop.

Well done to Mr H's Council for allowing this...cracking decision!

hope this helps

 

Its a quality coffee shop Reev, Dyson loves em an all.

 

i concur with the author of this thread.......maybe we could open another chippy especially for the undesirable undesirables....chips and scraps being the signature dish.... shared by two or more obviously.

lovely

 

This development needs to go through with the markets and then maybe it will bring the people who go to Meadowhall (myself included) back into the town to do their shopping, eating & cinema outings. It will then drive out the riff raff and the pound shops, if it doesn't, we bring in flame throwers to get rid of them. If the plans do go ahead l hope to only be going to Meadowhall to Milf watch.

 

Makes sense in this economic climate - most major towns and cities have a pound land . It is a rapidly expanding chain which has a good business model. Stuff in them is the same as most places but cheaper.

 

Completely agree with the common consensus that the offering of shops in town is very poor, but it's no different to any other town centre in the North of England.

However, government policy is far more to blame for this than any local policy, and it is only going to get worse. Currently, it makes little difference to the Council financially whether such a unit is empty or occupied, with the Business Rates pooled and re-allocated nationally. The main effect is the look and feel of the town.

The Council has done a lot to try to address this - free parking, market redevelopment, interchange, new buildings to TRY to attract new business (DMC, Gateway). The problem is that big business has not taken this up, and the reason for that is the lack of skilled and willing workforce. However I do believe that this should have led to a change of policy in the last 2-3 years to incentivise small/niche businesses to open in the town, and that the failure to attempt this will come back to bite hard.

Why...? Because this governmenti s soon to hit towns like Barnsley with yet another nail in the coffin with the change in policy on Business Rates. Once this comes in, the choice of whether to allow a major town centre to be occupied by Poundland, Subway, Greggs or Smack Accessories r Us will not be there - occpuation of such a unit pays for an extra bin man, social worker or street cleaner. They will be taking any offer going.

In my opinion, the ONLY hope for the town centre in the coming years is the successful redevelopment of the markets, and for the people of the town to back it to the hilt and spend their hard earned cash on small, local businesses. Perhaps then the shitty shops that surround it will be replaced by growing local businesses who actually put something back into the town beyond the token payment of relatively small amounts in business rates. It's beyond me why anyone wants the 'name' retailers anyway.

 

It's not been Littlewoods for ages, so what if it's a Poundland, better that than an empty shop.

 

Amen to that brother, This xmas l have bought the majority of my presents from the town centre, l could have chosen to buy them all from Meadowhall but these things were available in town so l'd rather put money into my own town, it needs a lot more people to do this.

The marketing development will boost the town, whenever we go to the cinema its to Meadowhall and we generally grab something to eat in the restaurants around the Oasis and then the pics, we would much rather be able to do this in town in nice surroundings. I believe the development will include restaurants & cinema's, bringing families back into the town. The development needs to go ahead.

 

so you bought all your pressies in town.....good on you......... say you bought 20 xmas pressies...thats £20 in to town centre business!!!!

at least pound shops help the 'mental arithmetically' challenged!!! (not a jibe at you Gordon)

 

Boots
Boardwalk
M&S
Oakwell Club Shop - first purchase since 1997.

Piece of piss Reev. Job done in 1 afternoon.

 

So your assumption is that if someone buys all their presents in Barnsley they must be from pound shops!
I'll be finishing my christmas present buying tomorrow and going into town to do so. I can walk to the town centre, so no queuing to get off the M1 at Meadowhall, or trying to find a parking space etc.....think I'll have the more relaxed Xmas shopping than someone going down to Meadowhall.

 

Nowt to do with the council you ejit.

 

Every little helps thereev

Hope this helps, a little

 

The reev's just angry at the council! I'm looking forward to going in the town halls museum, especially the BFC section, can't understand why this stuff isn't displayed down at Oakwell.