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On Friday Sanpa, a Spanish farm shop launched, followed by Oslar coffee shop, in Market Place, and MishyBoo Boutique, in Peach Street, on Saturday
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Residents call for new town centre shops

By Laura Herbert
August 30, 2012

A butchers, Primark or an Ann Summers are some of the shops The Wokingham Times readers want to see replace Dorothy Perkins and Burton.

The high street clothes store is due to close its doors in Market Place in October, but despite another big chain pulling out of Wokingham, business is not all bad as three new companies opened shops last week.

On Friday Sanpa, a Spanish farm shop launched, followed by Oslar coffee shop, in Market Place, and MishyBoo Boutique, in Peach Street, on Saturday.

The borough council is also looking at ways to boost business before the regeneration is completed.

Hopeful Times readers have taken to our getwokingham Facebook page to reveal what stores they would like to see in the town centre to take over Dorothy Perkins and Burton’s unit when it shuts up shop.

Suggestions include a butchers shop or fruit and vegetable store, while others would like to see a Card Factory, 99p Store or pound shop move into the unit in Market Place, while others called for a Primark or Ann Summers.

Staff at Dorothy Perkins and Burton in Wokingham say they were told the clothing chain has decided to end its lease after an agreement couldn’t be reached with the landlord.

But the borough council believes the move is in line with parent company Arcadia’s property strategy announced last November to close around 10 per cent of its stores due to a 38 per cent fall in annual profits.

Its closure follows Peacocks which shut in February after the chain was sold out of administration to Edinburgh Wool Mill.

Wokingham Town Council has since used the empty unit to launch an indoor market.

Andrew Nicholls, economic development manager at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “The town council are doing a great job and have managed to utilise the space left by Peacocks. The local authority have got a bit more control over the shops along Peach Street as they are now council owned, but it is very difficult at the moment to get some of the kind of retailers we would like to see coming into Wokingham as we have got the regeneration, which we need to do.”

He added: “Although Wokingham wasn’t successful in the Portas Pilot bid, we are keen to look at some of the ideas from the work that went into submitting the bid about how we can work with the town council and residents.

“There were comments about Wokingham becoming more of a family-friendly town. We would like to set up a team which the Government and Mary Portas are encouraging.”

The Portas Pilot Towns project launched following a report by retail expert and TV personality Mary Portas into the future of town centres.

Successful town centres received up to £100,000 to be used on projects to promote the towns.

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Most recent user comments 12 of 12

I often walk through the derelict garages, mentioned by PR, and agree that this area is ripe for regeneration including moving the Estate Agent out of there and create a small network of back streets with market style shops and maybe antiques businesses. Good luck to Sanpa but what a place to start a business perhaps it should be near the market end. Sapori (ex Sorrento's), a good restaurant opposite the Ship, is struggling for business. I wish them both well. Come on Cllrs.. Focus on this type of regeneration.

Stig2, Wokingham
04/09/2012 at 08:27

Hi Alex, thanks for the directions. I don't ever go that far up Peach street that far. Not sure that is an ideal spot for them but hope they make it worth the visit.

Sandy Halliday, Wokingham
03/09/2012 at 17:54

We need some positive regeneration at that end of Peach Street preferably before the rape of Elms Field. Unfortunately one new shop does very little to attract customers when most of the others are empty shops with token occupants. A few simple moves like a bus stop at that end of town could help to increase footfall.

We also need something like Holmes Grange in the centre of town. A redevelopment of the mainly delapidated garages in Broad Street Walk would present an ideal opportunity.

PoneRana, Wokingham
02/09/2012 at 11:33

Hi Sandy - Sanpa is far down Peach Street, basically half way between Blockbusters and the Ship Inn (on the same side of the street).

alex_f, Wokingham
01/09/2012 at 16:48

I would love to take a look at the Spanish Farm Shop but in spite of being in the town this morning I didn't come across it. It would help if the article mentioned where it was or if they publicised these things a bit more. The address is not even given on the Sanpa website.

I hope they do well but I can't see that there will be enough people seeking out and buying their oils when there is already so much choice in the supermarkets.

Sandy Halliday, Wokingham
01/09/2012 at 14:17

My guess is that the hundreds of people walking around Wokingham is not translating into retail activity, because they are mostly popping in for one or two small items - e.g. popping in for something at Boots, or picking up some flowers, and generally having a more leisurely walk around than they would do in major towns. Rather than in Reading where these people would be popping into several shops during a more frantic 2 hour shopping trip. Or people pop into Wokingham just for a coffee or a bit to eat. Just my guess...

Certainly agree that there should be more people living in the town centre. A surveyor report has recently been uploaded to the Wokingham BC application portal for the Peach Place refurbishment, which highlights the stark reality of empty office space within the town centre. Good quality housing within the town centre would probably be snapped up and make good use of that space: http://www2.wokingham.gov.uk/sys_upl/templates/BT_WOK_PlanningApplication/lib/ServePADocument.asp?path=f20121678%5CRevised+%26+Additional+Details%5CF20121678ad+42+Market+Place+%2D+Office+Availability+Report%5FRedacted%2Epdf.

alex_f, Wokingham
01/09/2012 at 13:19

I suspect there is not a huge market for Spanish Farms at the moment.

HatsOfDoom
31/08/2012 at 18:32

The reason there are "none of this shop" or "none of that shop" is because for the most part they have been here and failed. Wokingham is a generally safe haven so is good at night.

I work in the town centre and there are always hundreds of people wandering around. What are they doing because if you believe the shopkeepers and witness all the shops shutting these folk are not spending money.

We have had butchers and bakers and candlestick makers but they have been forced out by the big ugly soleless corporates.

I think Wokingham needs less shops, more people living in the town centre and more regular events on the open fields of Elmsfields.

More events on Elmsfield, say one weekend a month, would bring more people in to the town. There is an Arts Trail coming up in a couple of weeks time. How many people know about that? Will the independents open up that Sunday or do they even know its happening?

I am sad how people with no long term interest in the town are wrecking it. They will disappear after the damage has been done and with no consequences. The trouble is you listen to the councillors and they really seem to believe what they saying.

They apparently cannot see it is offensive to pay their mates, fellow councillors, to sit on newly formed companies. Are they really not able to understand?

come on lads
31/08/2012 at 17:19

@PR - great ideas. There should certainly be local guides, for both visitors and even locals (who may not know about those hidden away shops or restaurants and new ones opening). I wasn't hugely aware of Holme Grange Craft Village until recently - and it's such a lovely little development.

alex_f, Wokingham
31/08/2012 at 14:11

The demise of Burtons means that there will now be no men's clothes shop in Wokingham. Unfortunately it became useless for most men anyway some years ago. It would be nice to have a high standard butchers, bakers or greengrocer but I suspect none of these would generate enough trade to be sustainable. Wokingham needs to recognise that it has a number of attributes that attract people into the the town. These seem to be its huge variety of good restuarants and its history. We need to see the local council doing more to promote both of these. Where is our local restuarant guide? There would seem to be an opportunity to attract businesses like antique shops and craft shops into the town. Perhaps the indoor market should be used as an antique market regularly on Sundays.

PoneRana, Wokingham
31/08/2012 at 13:38

The success of WTC probably relies on a few brand names coming to the town. If WBC offer good deals on the council owned property it's a possibility but otherwise as none of them wanted to come in the good times why does anyone think they will come in the middle of a recession.

Good luck to the three new business - but what we really need is not new businesses sharing the existing customers so it is spread more thinly ie coffee shops but shops bringing new people into the town.

There are many many empty shops in Wokingham - none of the bigger brands want to come here.

The sooner that is realised the sooner The Folly that's is Elmsfield destruction will be put to bed. I wonder if the councillors were personally liable whether they would be going ahead?

come on lads
31/08/2012 at 13:36

Really positive news to see 3 new independent businesses opening up - exactly the kind of thing we want to see in our town. It will hopefully go some way to improving the mood, following the closure of DP / Burton.

I'm not too sure about a butchers or fruit and veg store - given that these are mostly catered for in the market, they perhaps wouldn't be my first choice. It would be nice to have them permanently, but I just don't know how this might affect the market. Card factory also wouldn't be my first choice, with a number of independent card shops and Clinton's here already. DP / Burton did fill a bit of a gap in Wokingham for everyday clothing (especially for men, even though Burton is not my cup of tea). I'd probably prefer another everyday clothing retailer to take its place, like H&M.