Traders join forces to save Darlington's high street (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Traders join forces to save Darlington's high street
5:22pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News
By Hannah Bryan, Reporter (Darlington)
TRADERS and business owners are joining forces to encourage people to shop locally and save their town centre.
Following the collapse of high street giants HMV, Jessops, Blockbuster and Comet, a group of Darlington business owners have joined together to urge people to save the high street and independent retailers.
The group - which also includes residents, Covered Market traders, the Darlington Town Centre Management team and Darlington Borough Council leader, Bill Dixon - is fighting back to save its town centre and to encourage people to take pride in Darlington.
Leading the fight is Beryl Hankin, who runs Guru Boutique, in Blackwellgate.
“Everybody is finding it tough at the moment, but we want to try our best to harness the good spirit of Darlington and to encourage local businesses to prosper,” she said.
“We are all in it together and we have all got to help each other. People love Darlington and there is something special about the place.
“Darlington has so much going for it and we have got to keep it alive for future generations.”
Despite the increasing popularity of internet shopping, the group believes there will always be a place for the high street shops and independent retailers, and are encouraging people to get out there and discover what Darlington has to offer.
Bill Gillow, who runs Geoffrey Gillow clothes shop, which has been in Darlington's Grange Road for 45 years, said: “I think the high street will flourish. It is changing but it will hopefully change for the better.
“We are encouraging the local people of Darlington to experience that extra customer service they can get by coming into town and into a shop, rather than buying online.
“It is a much more social experience and you simply cannot get that by buying off the Internet.”
Michelle Van Vlijmen, from Darlington Town Centre Management, said: “The businesses are clubbing together to fight the doom and gloom and they are doing a fantastic job.
“Not everybody knows about the independent shops down the side streets and in the yards, so we are encouraging people to try something new and save local businesses.”
For more information on the fight to save Darlington's high street, join the Destination Darlington Facebook group.
Comments(4)
harry2
says...
10:49pm Mon 21 Jan 13
Quaker Boy
says...
6:47am Tue 22 Jan 13
Then there is the issue of the bus situation in the town. I thought in this day and age we are supposed to be reducing polution, not in our town centre. Walk past the busses parked on High Row outside the Cornmill and you get a good old intake of fumes. The air quality around there must be really bad with 3 to 4 busses parked with their engines running. I suppose you could hold your breath and walk fast. This doesn't give a good impression of wanting to shop in Darlington. Can a bus station not be built where Commercial Street car park is now, I know the Council has it set aside for a shopping complex but do we really need one in these times? Or how about in the Beaumont Street car park opposite where the new cinema is going to be?
John Justice
says...
8:11am Tue 22 Jan 13
I would urge them to look at the slow demise of Bishop Auckland town centre and avoid similar experiences. Shoppers, traders and the Council need to work together to make the town work better. Good luck with the project.
Spy Boy says...
6:40pm Mon 21 Jan 13
They could also encourage more small businesses to come into town to fill all the empty units in the Cornmill, Queen Street and Skinnergate. Even the Covered Market is looking a little gap toothed these days. I have seen some indoor markets in other towns and some look very good. Why can't ours look as good ? Come on DBC, get your sums right and do us all a favour.