For sale! The empty shops and empty offices plaguing Wolverhampton city centre
‘This shop is closing’, the dog-eared, faded sign reads in the empty shop, with rusted shutters down over its front entrance.
A closer look, and the date for closure is ‘Thursday, 20th August.... 2009’.
The store in Birch Street was last occupied by Glovers Business Supplies, which moved to an industrial unit off Dudley Road just a mile away.
“There were fewer and fewer people coming through the door and it no longer became worth our while,” said Maria Jackson, credit controller at the firm.
“I hope that the city centre economy keeps going what would Wolverhampton be without it? But for us, it was the right move.”
The empty store is one of around 100 in the city centre - 16 per cent of stores in the city centre. It is providing a headache for the city council, recently compounded by the announced closure of Beatties.
Thirteen shops in the Wulfrun Centre are available for rent.
There are plans for a £55m Westside Leisure Quarter with a cinema and restaurants, a new railway station with office space and 600 homes along the Canalside Quarter.
But for now, the empty shops remain.
Tim Johnson, deputy chief executive of Wolverhampton, believes one answer is to create more homes and offices.
“We are at a pivotal moment in time,” he said. “If we bring more residential and office-led developments into the centre we will see footfall increase which will then have a positive impact on retail.
“The landscape of the city centre is changing, but it will not happen overnight.”
A report is to go before councillors on Tuesday on the city centre economy.
It reveals only 23 per cent of people living in the city’s catchment area – 439,612 people – come to the city centre.
This is despite claiming the city centre is ranked 69th out of 4,500 centres, meaning it was performing ‘relatively well’.
However, it goes on to admit the health of the city centre has declined due to empty shops and offices.
“It is all very well building new sites as part of big ideas, but then I think we’re overlooking what we have already got,” said John Henn, chairman of the city’s BID group.
“We’re going to have a new railway station at the end of Lichfield Street which is has two or three beautiful Art Deco buildings which are empty. What message does this give?”
The BID was voted in by businesses two years ago and has 670 members.
It receives money from firms which it then reinvests £500,000 a year in projects in the city centre.
This year it plans to introduce a gift card scheme for stores solely in Wolverhampton.
Mr Henn said: “One inherent issue we have in the city is parking. They bought in Debenhams but then there is a lack of parking nearby.
“And there are business rates. It is another tax which is seriously impacted trade.”
Relief on business rates can be provided as part of enterprise zones, such as the Black Country Enterprise Zone.
However, asked if this could be extended to Wolverhampton city centre, a spokesman for the council said: “The Government has established a small number of Enterprise Zones across the country.
“One of which is the Black Country Enterprise Zone, which incorporates i54 and is one of the most successful nationally.
“In these circumstances it is unlikely the Government would designate another enterprise zone in this area.”
In the report to go before the councillors, called Enabling a Vibrant City Centre, officers say there will be further store closures.
A walk around the city centre, and its not hard to find empty office and shop space.
Argos, BHS, Bargain King, Faces nightclub and next, Beatties - the large shops still stand empty after the tenants closed down or relocated.
It is the same for office blocks.
BT’s former home, Telecom House next to the ring road, Coniston House next to Sainsbury’s in St Marks, Derwent House in Waterloo Road to name a few.
The picture is not putting everyone off though.
New businesses are still springing up in the city centre, buoyed by news of a new £4.9m market opening in Cleveland Street this summer and the city’s arrival in the Premier League.
Tom Jackson opened Smoke Busters in Snow Hill two years ago. He said: “It isn’t always easy, but I’m hopeful for the future of this city.
“We can’t give up on it.”
