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New blows for shoppers as high street gloom deepens
MORE doom and gloom has descended on Rugby town centre this week with redevelopment plans taking a knock back and another retailer going into administration.
Peacocks announced on Tuesday that it had gone into administration, throwing the future of the Church Street shop into doubt.
Staff said they had not been told anything, while Peacocks wouldn’t say what might happen to individual shops.
Bon Marche in the Clock Towers, also part of the Peacocks group, looks likely to be bought by new owners.
The news came just a week after Dorothy Perkins and La Senza closed in Rugby.
It also emerged this week that plans to redevelop the Gala Bingo and Cemex House site in Evreux Way have suffered a setback.
It is now believed that Morrisons will not be building a new supermarket on the site.
Robin Richter, managing director of town centre management company Rugby First, said: “Cemex has not been able to extract itself from its building and find somewhere for its staff to go.
“It’s rather dragged on. Morrisons and the people that wanted to buy it moved on. The sale fell through.”
In May last year the Advertiser revealed that Cemex had submitted a plans to redevelop the site with a potential new supermarket and shops. Morrisons said it was ‘monitoring’ the site.
Mr Richter said: “They were interested, along with two others, but it’s taken too long.”
As part of the redevelopment plans Gala Bingo has already been demolished. The site is currently being used as a car park, charging drivers £2.50 per day or 50p per hour.
Cllr Craig Humphrey, leader of Rugby Borough Council, said: “It’s a shame. It’s an important gateway to the town and we want to see it improved as quickly as possible.
“We don’t have a great deal to do with the site. Cemex own it and it’s up to them but it’s a part of the town that needs sorting.”
Cemex said it is continuing to discuss the sale with potential purchasers and it is actively seeking an alternative home for its staff.
No one at Morrisons was available for comment.
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Weather for Rugby
Friday 18 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
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Wind direction: North east
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Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
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mjmiguens
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 05:52 PMI agree with gillypam. Is a pitty about Peacocks. I am an admire of Cemex, unlike some people, and I think they could contribute to well being of our town, by working with the Council and Stagecoach to use the space, thankfully declined by Morrisons, to build a coach station. This would leave North Street looking like a proper street, in which town people and visitors could drive through like humans, instead of feeling like slaves of the planers. This should have already been done when the introduction of Asda. Or is it better to have all those empty shops for 3 years? Anybody that walks down North street with a pushchair or pram, hand bags etc., and has to go through the space between the bus shelters and the shops will know what I am talking about. If we look after our town as we should no one would need to go to Leamington for some interesting shopping. The other day I was parking near a shop in Daventry and next to another person from Rugby, that I new by sight, who was also just arriving, and she said, “Nice here, isn’t it? You don’t even have to pay for parking”
gillypam
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 03:52 PMGood news about Morrisons not being built. We do not need another supermarket! How many does one town need???? I am sorry though about the plight of Peacocks as it is a good shop.
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