Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Moss
Clare Cleary is in the Cabinet and portfolio holder for Town Centres, it's sort of her area to speak to M&S. The idea was to ask what their reasoning was, not to bargain with them as that would not only be monstrously unfair on other retailers but also way outside our remit as it's not even our building. It was pointless right from the word go as they had clearly already made up their minds but I don't hold with this idea of 'no point, don't try'.
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Taken from the Observer, who no doubt have totally misquoted Cllr Parkinson;
Quote:
Coun Parkinson said they will also join forces in the hope of persuading M&S bosses to make a u-turn on their decision or turn the unit into an M&S Simply Food.
He said: “Residents are deeply concerned about the closure of M&S and that’s why we will be having meetings with the Arndale Centre to see if it can be saved.
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I presume by traders talking the down town, you are referring to me. I've asked a simple question, "What are the plans" ?. Our business model as you refer to it has been totally disrupted by some planks in Preston moving the bus station, and the local council & MP leaving them to it. When we ask what the plans are we get told "We THINK it's going to be a car park". So basically it's still in the thinking stage, and we have to wait and see.
97% of people in a 3,000 person survey think the town is in decline. That may be perception, or it may be fact, but it's what people think. A lone trader being negative hasn't made them all think like that, jeez I probably hardly know any of them that answered the survey.
