WHILE the news about Mogfords is welcome for Westbury, shops continue to face many challenges.
They are coping with increased business rates, rising costs, impending parking charges and reduced parking spaces – as well as a continuing reduction in footfall.
Two more businesses, A&J Shoe Repairs and Preserve Foods, are preparing to shut in the coming months and others are struggling to survive.
Alex Dunn, chair of Sustainable Westbury on Trym (SusWot) has a message for us all.
“The shops and businesses we have left are the lifeblood of Westbury, but they need footfall to survive. Next time you need to buy something, just ask yourself: ‘Can I get this in Westbury?’” he said.
This was echoed by Isabelle Richard, who runs the craft shop Made in Bristol.
“It’s up to our lovely customers, really,” she said. “Use us or Lose us.”
Isabelle, who took over the shop four years ago, said local people really wanted Westbury to survive and she hoped the revival of Mogfords would be a sign that the village would pull through the tough conditions.
Trade in Westbury has been hit by the closure of three banks in the past couple of years and the loss of parking spaces in Carlton Court. Now three businesses may have to move as the owners hope to build retirement flats on the site.
Andy and Julie have run A&J Shoe Repairs in the village for 20 years, the first 10 years on the site currently occupied by Fed and now on the High Street. They have taken the difficult decision to close the business at the beginning of June – in this instance, due to the landlord issuing a rent increase of 2.5% and backdating this to 2021.
Preserve Foods in Westbury Hill has decided that with its lease coming to a natural end in May, the timing is right not to renew. Its Gloucester Road and Bedminster shops will stay open.
Tiriel explained that his landlord is very fair, but added: “the shop in Westbury is doing okay, but it feels like the village is sadly in decline and the number of shops having to close up seems to be growing. Signing a new lease in the face of these continuing issues doesn’t seem the best thing to do.”
His fear is that “as the car park plans to sell ‘season tickets’, these will be bought up by offices, so it will be commuters rather than shoppers coming into the village centre”.
SusWoT puts its beliefs into practice, having two meals out locally every month, one in a restaurant and one in a pub, as well as keeping its spending on venue hire, printing, supplies, vouchers for prize draws and the like in the community.
Alex said: ” Things change, and we accept that, but we want to make sure Westbury stays a vibrant place to live and shop.”