St Peter Port is fast becoming a big mess
HOW sad to see another local business closing down, I refer to The Press Shop in Smith Street. The CI Newsagents director stated that it had been losing money for years although it tried to reshape its model. I think if that refers to selling off part of that shop to UK Superdry, therefore making The Press Shop even smaller, we all knew that would not work. So what is to blame again as other businesses are failing in Town such as Edinburgh Woollen Mill, HMV, Beghin’s, Miss Selfridge and Jack Wills? It all seems to indicate that the rents are too high – and these are UK shops? If the rents are too high then the landlords are worse off now with empty shops instead of negotiating with the tenants and some other St Peter Port shops. Maybe also other various States departments should have special tariffs for any shops in St Peter Port in the rates etc for the landlords also.
What are our cruise line visitors going to see in the cobbled streets, rows of empty shops? We also see the White Hart going – what on earth are the planners allowing to go ahead? Another supermarket? The St Peter Port frontage will now have three: M&S, this new Morrisons, and across the roundabout we have the Co-op. Three supermarkets are also great viewing for our visitors. There is talk about upgrading various parts of the seafront, which will use a lot of money. Let’s start first by taking to task what is happening in the shop areas, because what was a quaint St Peter Port is fast becoming a mess. Sarnia Cherie no longer a gem of the sea.
R. S. MAUGER
Valletta,
Rue des Frieteaux,
St Martin’s,
GY4 6XA