Historic arcade struggles as town centre trade drops

mrh35

How much is the price to rent a shop in the arcade?

jaybe

Can someone explain to me how the closure of the bridge has affected trade in the arcade? its not as if Abertillery town is completely closed off.I think its just part of a general decline especially now we have a new rail service to make it easier to get to Cardiff.

SonOfACynic

A sad state of affairs to say the least. Sad

I shop, where possible in the 'local shops for local people', something i get from my nan.

Seems though many in society would rather the 'convenience' and 'quality of service' offered by certain large retailers Twisted Evil

martyn142

I've got huge sympathy with them - Ashes is practically an institution in this town and still feels like a local shop. To be fair jaybe they do also mention the railway adversely affecting trade. I'm not sure how the closure of the bridge would hit business either but even if it did it's hard to see how it could be avoided if the bridge is to be replaced.

I must put my hand up SOAC and say that I don't do a huge amount of shopping in town - because I'm away during the day it's easier to get it elsewhere. The one exception is any electrical/telephony needs and I always go to Ron Taylor for that even if it is more expensive because it is such a brilliant shop.

Doodlebug

I thought trade would be better in the arcade since all the busses now stop there I don't see how it can make any difference to shopping. The walk way behind the health centre is not the best and what goes on cant be seen by the cameras which was troubling at first in the dark evenings with all the gangs hanging round there sometimes drinking and fooling about that bother some of the older people I stopped my kids going across there in the early evenings unless they had older people with them, most of the shoppers come down by buss or car

martyn142

Is anyone really clear on what the town centre redevelopment entails. I think originally there were plans to demolish the whole of the block in which the arcade is situated. Even if this was true, and I'm not sure if it was, I'm pretty sure it isn't planned now. From what I understand the new town square would be in the area near the new bridge. Is that right?

Carolyn

As I remember demolishing the arcade was one of the proposed options in order to create a Place (With an accent on the e) and the building of essential? offices. People were against this after almost a million was spent on refurbishing it. There were 3 poposals for a new library, the white elephant car park, the shops at the top of Church Street on the right hand side going up the street and the bathroom centre and shops at the bottom of Divison and Tillery Street.

Gelli Crug cottages were being demolished to make way for parking at the new proposed library, which was comical at the time because BG press release in the Gazette stated that the houses were empty and ocupants re-housed, this was news to at least one of the residents who was still living there and knew nothing of the proposal to knock them down and the Gregory and Phillips Estate agent were running an add for rental of one of them think it was no 2. Laughing

They have since been demolished

Looks like the proposal for a new library has been knocked on the head since I have heard no more and the area earmarked for a public place/area . The plans displayed at the library at that time included a proposal for the Metropole Square. There was some opposition to this and another option was considered. Most of this was under discussion on the old message board at the time