High street closure plans anger traders

Traders in Stourbridge are up in arms over plans to close the High Street every Saturday.

The scheme has been suggested by new town centre manager Hannah Rogers, but shop owners say it will be "disastrous" for their businesses.

Elizabeth Down, who owns The Flower Basket in Market Street, said the proposal to shut High Street and Market Street off to traffic for a six-month trial period would prevent delivery vans dropping off goods at her shop. A fortnightly farmers' market is due to move into the main part of the High Street.

The move will be made during development work on The Crown Centre.

Mrs Down said: "We deliver throughout the day so the van needs to come in and out. We have people collecting bouquets and flower arrangements from the shop. They need to pull up outside."

She said although the markets brought a lot of visitors into the town to buy from stalls, they did not increase business for permanent traders.

"When the market is on our takings are down.

"Even though it brings a lot of people into the town they don't come to the shops.

"When they started dismantling the stalls after the harvest festival, between 3 and 5pm we didn't take a penny. This new plan will be disastrous for us all."

Mrs Down said the 70 hourly car spaces in the High Street and Market Street were currently well used by passing customers who popped into the shops.

She stressed she was not against the farmers' market itself, just the plans to close the High Street and Market Street, which were "completely unfair" to traders.

Father and son Ivan and Lloyd Morgan, who run Morgan Electrics in Market Street, branded the move "the silliest idea they had ever heard".

Lloyd, aged 31, said: "It will dent our takings big time. It's just crazy."

Many traders have now written to Miss Rogers, objecting to the plans.

Objections should be sent before October 15.

Director of LSD Promotions, which runs the farmers' markets, Linda McGillicuddy, said closing the High Street to traffic was a very welcome and positive move for the town.

She said the trial period would give businesses an opportunity to monitor business when the market was in the High Street, and on the Saturdays it was not.