High Street Regeneration
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Looking at the artist impressions of the regeneration of the High Street for 2023/24, they look extremely similar to the regeneration project for Queens Square/Chester Street from December 2017. As is well known, Queens Square/Chester Street refurbishment with the tree planting never took place. Will the same fate befall this new brain fart.
These artist impressions have floated around for years with just minor tweaks- the Council have spent literally £100’s thousands on various schemes that never get off the drawing board. Any town/city redevelopment needs to have a strong partnership between the Council, Private Sector and Public.
Doesn’t matter how many £millions are available the Council have never succeeded in full engagement with the Private Sector that have assets valued far more than any Council funding. The Council also believe in consultation but not engagement- the difference is that engagement first leads to consultation not the other way. Look at the track record dealing with traders in the Markets- Ty Pawb, Butchers and Butter- often killing the trade.
The Council pre Covid were so slow dealing with the homeless issues that the town developed an image of being a cess pit of drop outs and fear – that image has still not been changed and people voting with their feet and going to other shopping centres.
No easy answer but more and more money is not the answer without proper engagement with all stakeholders.It’s a “chicken and egg “ situation, to increase footfall you need a better retail offering and to attract new businesses you need a better footfall. People want a whole day experience , attraction to visit, choice of places to eat and shopping. Wrexham’s weakness is the city centre shopping and with M&S opting to relocate another anchor store has gone. Revamping the Butchers Market is a great opportunity if the Council can get the balance right. Hope they look at Shrewsbury and Chester. Improvements to the exterior environment , like planting trees will help but not solve the core problem.
wrexview:- “Revamping the Butchers Market is a great opportunity if the Council can get the balance right”
The Butchers Market had a total of 34 stalls, of which 11 were let prior to the closure. On closure 4 elected to cease trading and since then the only Butcher has closed. The new Butchers Market will probably have space for around 30 stalls. This, if the 6 stalls at present in Queens Square decide to return, will leave an area of some 24 stalls to fill, considering the current trading trend a huge task.
Should the Queens Square traders find their sales have increased in the new location that they did not wish to move back, only adds to the problem.
A suggestion was made to the Council that the Butchers and General Market stalls be combined, the General with all its clothes stalls being an added attraction in the Butchers.
The suggestion also pointed out that the General Market could be offered out to the likes of Saith Seren as a city centre all eating/drinking/singing/dancing venue in conjunction with the green space opposite. This could integrate with the City of Culture bid.
Unfortunately, the Council did not reply.
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