Brightwell’s vibrancy is non-existent.
Surrey County Council drops another £4.4m added to the squillions that have gone into that big black hole, Blightwells. It told its members to Note:
The additional £4.4 million capital is for Farnham Brightwells due to vague asset sales and unaffordable debt regarding infrastructure.
The Big Blightwells giveaway begins in Farnham.
Oops! M & S pulled out, too, and even Aldi doesn’t want the space?
After posting about the great Brightwells giveaway—a shop is offered for free for a year—we thought we would drop along to see just how “vibrant” the development really is. We almost fell off our Zimmer frame, so amused were we by the advertisement description as…
“one of Surrey’s most vibrant shopping and lifestyle destinations”.
On a busy Saturday, we counted about half a dozen people meandering about looking into the bare windows of the vast number of empty retail units. For the life of us, we couldn’t see the “vibrancy,” nor did it look like a lifestyle destination. All we could see wafting through Tory-led Surrey County Council’s flagship shopping development was tumbleweed! Lots of it.
As for its attempt to entice some independent business owners with a freebie—a retail unit rent-free for a year—how will that attract additional businesses? A single business retailer might be enticed to take advantage of the offer, but will one new business create enough additional footfall to attract additional retailers who will have to pay the full rent? If so, we will be pleasantly surprised.
The cinema needed a bung to move as it teetered on the edge of pulling out. Both Nando’s and Monte Forte found out and demanded an incentive. You cannot move to the centre of a town, particularly when it is deserted. Most flats have empty windows overlooking the complex and will likely stay so.
A London Council may take more properties to deal with their housing crisis.
Now motorists are queueing on Downing Street and elsewhere as part of Fanham’s Town Centre’s improvement works.
Is it true that a London Council has taken some of the residential units? What’s the source of that information please?
The article states that London councils may take some of the residential units; this was mentioned at a Surrey County Council meeting.
So it hasn’t actually happened then? Your article uses the word ‘more’ to imply that they already have. This is unnecessarily close to the far right’s scaremongering in my view.