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Town work hits firms
Denise Evans14/ 8/2008
TOWN centre businesses have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket following months of building work in Middleton Gardens.
As town prepares for the arrival of its new Tesco superstore, the centre has become a mass building site which has severely restricted pedestrian access to shops.
Although the area has recently been cleared, providing improved access for shoppers, one business may still be forced to close as a result of the disruption.
Middleton Town Centre Management said it is aware of the problems traders are facing but assured them that all efforts have been made by the building developer to cause the minimum amount of disruption possible and in the long term the changes would benefit everyone.
Work is being carried by the National Grid in preparation for the start of construction for the new superstore, which is set to be built on the existing Middleton Leisure Centre, Civic Centre and Baths site.
Fencing has been erected around the 200-metre long construction site meaning customers have to be diverted out of their way to reach the shops.
This has proven too much of a challenege for some pensioners who are not able to walk the extra distance.
The eight-week long diversion has led to customers shunning the shops that rely so heavily on passing trade and return customers.
Owner of Middleton Grill Cafe, Sedat Tutuncu, who only took over the eatery in April, has been powerless to prevent a substantial dip in profits from £7,325 in his first nine weeks to just £650 for the past six.
Mr Tutuncu now fears he may lose his business within the next few weeks if the work is not finished promptly.
He said: "The building work has seriously affected my business.
"People just can't or don't want to walk around the fencing.
"There is no passing custom as people only pass along the other side now. Breakfast used to be our busiest time but this morning we only had five customers before 11am.
"I am afraid my customers may not come back now as they may have found somehere else to eat.
"We really might have to close - I am under a lot of pressure and feeling very stressed, I have had to lose staff because I couldn't afford to pay them."
One customer went on to say: "I am a regular at the café and have been coming here for a while and I have really noticed a difference in the amount of customers coming in, it's such a shame."
The National Grid has been in contact with the businesses worst affected and offered them a compensation package for loss of income but this gesture has angered shopkeepers as they feel it is too late to make up for the money they have already lost.
The owners of Knight's News in Middleton Gardens said: "We have lost thousands and thousands of pounds since the work started.
"The National Grid has promised that work is due to finish soon so hopefully we will get all of our old customers back.
"They have also assured us that we will be compensated for any loss of business but that is not much use and comes too late as we have struggled to get by so compensation would have been better before or during the building work."
Middleton Town Centre manager, Jim McMahon, said: "Inevitably during a project of this scale there will be disruption as essential works are carried out, but I am working closely with the developer and Rochdale Borough Council to minimise these.
"The improvements will benefit nearby businesses and residents, and as part of the major redevelopment of the town centre put Middleton in a much stronger long term position. The result of this development will be a much more attractive new environment."
Tell us what you think. Email your comments to middletonguardian@menwn.co.uk or click on 'Submit comments'
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19/08/2008 at 13:26
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Middleton's real problems can squarely be put at the door of the Rochdale Development Agency. This is an overpaid, unaccountable quango that hoovers up huge amounts of our tax cash for very little to show for it.
For years, the RDA has been involved in far too many squalid little deals with developers and property speculators.
The people of Middleton have been thrown a few overpriced civic crumbs such as the new leisure centre but at the expense of lost jobs and opportunities.
Remember co-op pharmacy HQ? Gone to Rochdale with a wad of cash from the RDA.
Some of the biggest insults to Middleton come from the ideotic white elephants such as Kingsway Business Park and its associated Metrolink extention to Rochdale Town Centre. Now everyone in the area is getting glossy propaganda telling them that the Congestion Charge is a small price to pay for all this progress.
With all this hopeless mismanagement, Middleton has no chance. Unless there are some high level changes, with these overpaid regeneration executives getting the chop, then our town will decline further.
19/08/2008 at 22:09