The road between Tenbury and Leominster was closed at Leysters for repairs and had subsequently cut the amount of through traffic, but this shouldn't have have such a dramatic effect on the number of shoppers.
Perhaps it was the heavy grey clouds and the threat of rain that had put a dampener on the day.
I would be interested to hear if this was also the case in other towns? The official government statistic seem to indicate an uplift in retail spending, but this doesn't seem to be reflected locally. I did think that perhaps it was just quiet when I was in Town until I read this in the Shropshire Star.
One problem I do think needs addressing is the number of cars that park in Teme Street all day, in fact often for days at a time. I'm sure this dramatically reduces "opportunist" shopping, with passing trade doing just that, passing and not stopping.
Update 31/9/10 - See what the Shropshire Star has to say.
Update 31/9/10 - See what the Shropshire Star has to say.
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14 comments:
Where have they gone? Well being the summer holidays and the weather going rainy again I suppose they have gone on holiday as it is holiday season. They will want to get one more week in before the kids start back at school in next few weeks.
I do tend to forget that 'normal' people have holidays.
It must be because Tesco have come along and killed the trade! Oh, no that's right, they haven't arrived yet. There was me thinking we had a thriving high street to protect.
The problem is the lack of tourists. In August local people go on holiday (or go out for the day) but we don't get as many people coming here on holiday or for a day out. So in August, when the town should be busy, it's quiet. Go to Stourport on an August weekend to see what a busy place looks like. Tesco isn't an issue on this one, once the schools go back Tenbury will be ok again. It didn't used to be like this though - if you go back five or six years there were a lot more visitors, you used to hear lots of black country accents in the town due to day visitors. Maybe it's the combination of the floods, the weak promotion of Tenbury to tourists and the strong promotion of nearby towns such as Ludlow. We are effectively in competition with them, in the sense that if someone from Stourbridge wants an afternoon out, they can go to Ludlow or Tenbury but aren't likely to do both. Plus there's the cost of parking. People from towns and cities usually expect to park for free at their local retail park, shopping centre, Tesco, Sainsbury's or whatever, and Tenbury isn't like that, unless you know about the unsignposted cattle market parking, or are aware that the parking over the bridge (by the swimming pool) is free. Visitors just turn into the car park down the side of the library and pay. It's curious that the Chamber of Trade hasn't petitioned the Council over the high cost of parking in Tenbury - even in Wolverhampton it's free to park on Sundays and Bank Holidays, which is when a lot of people want a day out.
This issue has only come up because of Tesco. They believe tesco will bring people but why would it when there is a tesco in Worcester Kidderminster Hereford and Ludlow so why would they make that special trip to Tenbury for another tesco.
Many towns are busy on a Sunday if the weather is nice. Tenbury isn't. Most towns have attractions - Ludlow has a castle, Bewdley has the river and the trains, Bromyard has the Dr Who Exhibition, Stourport has its fairground and the river. Plus Tenbury looks scruffy: visitors usually arrive over that tatty bridge, then they pass the rundown and overgrown former council buildings. On warm days there's often a horrid drains smell in part of the town, the whole place has never been tidied up properly since the floods. We have some slightly unusual shops that would interest visitors, like books and sweets, but really a town needs more than a small number of interesting shops to persuade people to come more than once. They might come once to see what is here, but how many of them come here regularly? Once a year won't create much business.
Tenbury is in that catch 22 situation that most shops are closed on a Sunday, because there isn't much trade and there isn't much trade because, most shops are closed. Perhaps if the Riverside walk etc is given a really good makeover as part of the Tesco development it might encourage more visitors. Also there is the potential to improve the museum if it is allowed to move into the old infirmary and make a worthwhile attraction at the Regal once the Heritage access officer is in place.
Do you lot really think Tesco will bring in people? No they won't. How bout fixing the bridge? Course they won't bot their problem is it and it's listed (well part of it is). Flood defenses? You got to be joking they will build enough to safeguard their store only not the town. And using Bromyard as an example. Gave you ever been down Bromyard on a sunday. Everything closed apart from co op and pubs. And it's full of drunken kids really an attraction there isn't it dr who exhibition is a joke.
come on tesco tenbury needs you before it to late
if they dont come will the last person turn the lights out
Well done to the communties and councils who are resisting supermarket expansion
Alton ,Hampshire
Machynlleth ,Powys
Walkley, Sheffield
Manningtree,Essex
Leek ,Staffordshire
Milngavie ,East Dumartonshire
Dorrige ,West Midlands
Come on Tenbury & MHDC Keep Tesco OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are right about the cars parking all day outside the shops. The funny thing is, some are owned by people who work in the shops! Perhaps the Chamber of Trade should ask their members where they park? On the road outside their own shop, on the road outside someone else's shop, on their own land, on someone else's car park (e.g. Crow or Oak), on the cattle market, by the swimming pool or on the pay-and-display car park. If Tesco comes and the cattle market is full of Tesco shoppers/staff cars and if the parking regulations are enforced and if the Crow stops people parking their (except when using the pub or carpet shop), then where will the cars go?
What do you think of this then.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1307786/Tesco-accused-bulldozing-plans-big-new-stores.html
Nice to see that tesco really cares. (About themselves)
i think tenbury wants to look at bewdley it doesent matter what time of the day it is bewdley is all ways busy.shops open cafes open etc etc.lovely flowers every where its lovely to go there
tenbury is a ghost town .look at it on a saturday afternooo DEAD when it should be a full of activy.the youth cafe is never open.
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