Town centre facing “challenging time”

THE loss of clothes store Peacocks on Bank Street has prompted concern for Melksham’s “struggling” town centre.

The clothes retailer closed its doors last week, adding its name to the list of recent business closures, which includes Bluebell Ladieswear, The Card Factory, ArtHouse Café and Petstown.

And with a number of other buildings already empty in the town centre, including the former HSBC and NatWest branches on the High Street, the community is being encouraged to support the remaining town centre businesses to ensure they can survive the “difficult time” caused by the  Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

The town council’s economic development manager, David McKnight, told Melksham News, “Melksham’s town centre, like so many, is facing a challenging time. We are desperately sorry to hear of the closure of Peacocks, Bluebells, and  Petstown and acknowledge the uncertain future of Poundstretcher.  

“However, we also welcome recent additions to our high street in Holidays and Cruises, Autonomy Care Group, Gonjoo Cafe Bake House and Benjamin Nicholas Hair.

“Melksham’s shops and businesses served the people of this town and surrounding area with distinction during the lockdown earlier this year.  

“The recently announced enhanced restrictions due to coronavirus, serve to remind us all that it is vital that we continue to support them to ensure they are still there for us when this difficult time passes.”

Local residents have also reacted with sadness to the news of Peacocks’ closure, but have highlighted that the town centre “needs help” to fill its empty shops to attract more shoppers to the town.

Natascha Porter said, “The problem is that the selection and quality of the shops on our high street did not really invite anyone to have a stroll and browse for quite some time now (already pre-Covid). 

“Of course this will create a downward trend: the fewer interesting shops there are, the less footfall you get, and this will lead to the remaining shops to struggle even more. We have no clothes or shoe shops left that I am aware of. Even the quality of the charity shops is poor compared to Trowbridge or Chippenham.”

Ed Saunders added, “Someone would need to be very brave and probably have ‘deep pockets’ to open a new business in the present climate.

“A series of ‘pop up’ shops could be a good temporary use of the premises if the owner or landlord was ‘on board’ and Wiltshire Council was prepared to reduce business rates substantially or waive them completely.”

Patricia Miller said, “Give Melksham some decent shops. Really sad that Peacocks are closing. Melksham needs help.”

Jessica Ruth Phipps said, “It’s sad news. I hope all of the staff have jobs to move on to. That’ll be a big gap in the high street so hopefully it can be filled soon.”