Woolworths

Woolworths. Those shops often housed in art-deco buildings, a ubiquitous retailer. I have been a customer of Woolworths for nearly half a century. I used to buy fishing stuff from them when I was a wee boy, when the floor was polished wood and the goods were sold from large rectangular counter/gondola displays. Then when I was a bit older it was packs of five cassettes or the latest album or single. Even now hardly a week goes by without my visiting Woolies in Dumbarton or Helensburgh for a light bulb or a CD or a screwdriver or maybe some pic ‘n’ mix. From a local perspective, Woolworths is almost as much a part of Dumbarton as Dumbarton Rock or the Rivers Clyde or Leven. I’m sure this kind of association will be typical from towns accross the UK. They tended to occupy the same site in towns, often refurbishing, rarely expanding or relocating.

And now the following news from the Times:

“Woolworths, the iconic 99-year-old six-penny retail chain, is on the verge of collapsing into corporate bankruptcy despite desperate last-ditch government efforts to save it.

The board of Woolworths plc, believing it had exhausted all its other options, met at 6pm at the retailer’s central London headquarters to vote on a move that threatens thousands of British jobs.

Here they will agree to put two of Wooworths’ subsidiaries – its 815 store high street arm and its DVD distribution business EUK, which between them employ nearly 30,000 people – into corporate bankruptcy or administration.”

I sincerely hope that a way can be found to facilitate Woolies’ long term survival. I know many of the staff in the Dumbarton branch. It is a great resource and I hope that it, and the jobs it provides, survives.

The Worry of Woolworths

If any proof were needed of the depth of the current crisis in the economy, it is the plight of one of the county’s (and Dumbarton’s) longest established retailers. WE have to assume that Woolies were one of the names on the recent list drawn up by Traynor Begbie on the hundreds of firms with more than a 70% chance of insolvency before the end of January 2009.

Woolworths is a member of Business for Dumbarton and we wish them well in all attempts to find a way of saving the company. The shop is one of the best remaining in our town centre and we don’t want to lose them or the many jobs and customers they bring to the town.

The Guardian report on Woolies current situation is here

Not Worth the Paper?

One note from the planning meeting the other day. I had speculated on whether the economic situation in general and JJB’s perilous financial state in particular (their insurer recently withdrew insolvency cover), meant that perhaps it cast doubt on the leisure aspect of the application. The rebuttal from the applicants to this was that ‘the legals with JJB have been signed’

Perhaps I should have mentioned the legal document I signed with Enron Energy in 2001 offering cheap electricity for 10 years.

Another Good Result for Dumbarton

As stated below, the result of the planning committee meeting at West Dunbartonshire Council this morning was to unanimously reject the application from British Land and Henry Lax for seven retail units at St. James Retail Park.

Great credit goes to the councillors present at the meeting for a courageous and correct decision for Dumbarton.

Whilst there is a strong chance of an appeal from the applicant, today’s result was a significant one in the battle to regenerate the town centre. Jermon Developments and Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce made presentations to the committee.

The following is the presentation I made to the committee before their vote.

“Business for Dumbarton represents 58 member businesses in Dumbarton Town Centre, and like the Scottish Government guidelines we are keen to see development and regeneration take place in Dumbarton Town Centre. It is our belief that
the proposed development at St James would have the opposite effect and this is acknowledged in the Retail Impact Assessment. Let me assure you that even if the
figure of a 7% reduction in trade was accurate (we believe it would be
considerably more) then this would not, as your document seems to suggest,
be any small matter for our members.

In fact a 7% reduction could be the final straw for many. This is particularly true in the current financial climate where all businesses are already faced with massively increased costs and generally falling turnover. Lord Clarke quite rightly criticised the lack of clarity in the previous retail impact assessment. What has changed other than figures conveniently ducking under the 10% ‘acceptable’ level? (from 12%)

Your report also gives the impression that these units would be more
attractive to potential tenants than the proposed Jermon redevelopment of
the Artizan Centre. I would be interested to know how this assertion can
be made arbitrarily. Jermon has stated that they will start work on their
units in 2009 and yet you estimate that it will take over five years for
them to be ready to let. Other than references to land assembly issues in the
masterplan, no concrete data is cited as back up to this opinion. In any case in the current economic climate what is the hurry? Why not wait for the better option?

In 2006 the council felt it necessary to protect the town centre by permitting two units only. Now we are told because of commercial difficulties faced by B&Q this condition should be removed and seven units should be built. Two of them are I believe to be occupied by JJB Sports. Given that company’s current well documented financial problems what pleading will we hear next? 15 units? Will JJB Sports will occupy these two units if built? Who knows?

Our members and the other businesses in the town centre employ in the region of 500 people. What would the council do to attract 500 jobs to the town? What will they do to protect the proportion of these jobs which will disappear should this development proceed.

For anyone to imply that St James Retail part forms a natural part of the town centre is wrong. Glasgow Rd. divides the two centres. I know of no-one who could reasonably conclude that these two separate entities are one.

It is surely time for West Dunbartonshire Council to back up their and
their predecessor’s (Dumbarton District Council) words over the last
quarter of a century and finally deliver on the promise of the
regeneration of Dumbarton Town Centre. The continued development at St
James mitigates against this and could be the final hammer blow for the
heart of Dumbarton’s community.

The good people of Dumbarton were told in 2000 that the EDAW Action Plan Rediscovering Dumbarton would lead to, and I quote, the regeneration of Dumbarton in five years. Yet here we are eight years later with a document that not only admits the failure of that action plan but uses that failure as an excuse for further decay, further loss of civic pride and further loss of the character of this town. The people of Dumbarton deserve regeneration of their town centre, not the further de-generation that this development would inevitably bring.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today you can deliver the final death knell to Dumbarton Town Centre or you can begin to live up to your and your predecessors’ promises by starting on the journey of really regenerating this once great town. If you want vitality and viability for Dumbarton Town Centre you must vote against these applications before you.”

Robert Ryan (Chairman) Business for Dumbarton.

Historic Day for Dumbarton.

On a global scale, with today’s election in the USA, a planning meeting at West Dunbartonshire Council my not seem the most important of events. However for the future of the town and any possible hope of regeneration it is vitally important. The consideration for permission for seven more units at St. James Retail Park goes to the vote today. I will be there to put Business for Dumbarton’s case that the granting of this permission could be the final blow to the heart of the town.

I hope that the councillors at the planning meeting today will do the right thing and vote against this proposal. Such a vote would be consistent with the guidelines laid down in the Scottish Government’s SPP8 Planning Policy document.

It would also be, I believe the first crucial step in the regeneration of Dumbarton Town Centre which has been promised for quarter of a century.

The people of Dumbarton want the REgeneration of their town centre, not its further DEgeneration.
I will be speaking at today’s meeting. There are councillors on all sides who I know are sympathetic to BfD’s concerns. Please today express that concern properly and vote against the application.

EDIT: 4/11/08 12:20 pm

I’m delighted to say that the application was unanimously refused.

Last Week’s Meeting.

Last Tuesday, Inspector Ian Wallace of Strathclyde Police Dumbarton attended Business for Dumbarton’s meeting. IT was a useful exchange and the main point arising from Ian was, ‘If you see crime or anti-social behaviour, report it’. Members took the opportunity to say that sometimes they felt response was not appropriate or quick enough. Ian promised to look into these complaints and we all agreed that a new more resolute approach was needed from everyone to tackle the problems.

Business for Dumbarton thanks Ian Wallace for taking the time and trouble to explain the police’s side of the story. It was a very useful exchange.