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LIVERPOOL’S retail sector today called on the council to help it meet current challenges – or face driving the heart out of the city centre.
Scores of retailers are currently struggling to persuade visitors to brave the disruption of Big Dig and the issue of poor parking to shop in the city centre.
The once-thriving Cavern Quarter has lost vital tenants, visitor numbers to the Met Quarter appear disappointing while the Albert Dock has declared that it is to shift away from retail and focus on leisure services.
Meanwhile, a survey of city centre businesses suggests that hundreds of traders are unprepared for the threats and opportunities posed by Grosvenor’s Liverpool One.
Now, more than thirty retailers – through private sector lobby group, Downtown Liverpool in Business – have called on council leader Warren Bradley to show more sympathy to their plight.
Echoing Cllr Bradley’s own call for greater partnership between public and private sectors, they have called for him to meet and discuss their issues, with a view to him agreeing to some form of help over the coming two years.
“There’s no point the council saying to the retail sector that everyone will benefit from a brighter, easier to access city centre in a few years time,” said DLIB chairman, Frank McKenna.
“We have more than 30 retail members at the moment, and many of them are worried whether they will even be here in a few years’ time.
“They – and we - feel it is completely unreasonable for the council to make them suffer in this way, without giving them any compensation in return.
“We have therefore written to Cllr Bradley inviting him to meet with us so that we can discuss how best we can help each other.”
Since the Big Dig got underway, DLIB has been calling on Liverpool City Council to offer retailers a rates rebate to compensate for the loss in revenue.
During that time, fashion retailers Wade Smith has folded, citing the disruption on the roads as having had a major impact on its business.
Lingerie specialist, Bardot, menswear store, Issy Crown, and shoe retailer, Paloma, have recently closed their units in the city’s Cavern Quarter.
And just last month, the Albert Dock announced a change in strategy as it sought to concentrate on attracting leisure and tourism tenants, rather than retail.
“Everyone in the city is excited about 2007, 2008 and Liverpool One,” added Mr McKenna.
“But those celebrations will be considerably muted if we don’t act now and make sure our existing shopping core is saved from ruin in the meantime.”
Note to editors
DLIB members Milano Shoes (Joe 07771 727323) and Microzine (Chris Lee 07799 473412) are available for interview.
For more information, or to arrange an interview with Frank McKenna, please call Chris Marritt at Mason Media on 0151 707 4514 or 07908 214950
