Day: January 4, 2013

Although reasons for this closure cannot necessarily be laid at the door of HBC, they are not helping the situation

David Guest, deputy leader of Havant Borough Council and ward member for St Faith’s, said: ‘Hopefully we have not lost it and they are able to relocate.

‘A lot of people enjoyed that shop and I’m very sorry to see it go.’

He said that independent shops were an important part of Havant.

So important that the HBC is intent on dragging shoppers away from the town centre by allowing huge developments across the other side of Park Road in the Solent Road area.

‘It’s nice for people to have a choice,’ he said.

‘As long as people use these independent shops, they will survive.

How many people have stopped using the independent stores in Havant centre since the Tesco store opened ? From personal experience I know that I don’t tend to go to smaller stores if I am doing my weekly shop in a supermarket. We are all so busy that it is more convenient to “one stop shop”.

‘There’s no guarantee they will stay around.

‘We just want to encourage more people to open small shops.’

If you want more people to open small shops then you shouldn’t allow the big stores to open up so close to the town centres.

HBC, haven’t you learnt anything ?

And you are doing the same thing to Waterlooville by allowing the new Sainsbury store to open up outside of the town centre. There is no incentive to anyone to open small shops in either of these town centres.

I feel sorry for John Wills and his family. It will be difficult for him to relocate and keep his current customers,to start afresh and build a customer base under the current economic climate and with the lack of true support from HBC. I wish him the best of luck for the future.

End of era as Havant’s last greengrocer shuts – Local Business – Portsmouth News.