Welsh town centre faces fresh blow as much-loved clothes store announces closure

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter 

The impending closure of one of a Welsh town’s flagship shops has sparked fresh concerns about the future of its town centre.

Welsh-based fashion chain Peacocks will close its store in August prompting fears a significant reason to visit the town centre will no longer be there for many existing shoppers.

When the store on Crane Street, which runs between Commercial Street and the pedestrianised George Street to the Tesco and a large car park with entrances to Pontypool Indoor Market, closes the nearest Peacocks will be in Cwmbran – giving customers another reason to make the five mile journey to one of Wales’ largest shopping centres.

Many traders in Pontypool are already downcast about the town centre’s fortunes. One unnamed shopkeeper described it as “dead” while a cafe employee, on a Tuesday lunchtime, admitted: “I’ve not served one customer yet today. We’ve prepared all this food but there’s no customers.”

Peacocks is important to the town centre said Tania Britten, who owns The Craft Cabin at the market’s Crane Street entrance.

“Footfall is already down,” said Ms Britten: “Peacocks is the only shop, even for people living in Pontypool, to attract people to come into town.”

While Ms Britten said she hopes the building will be occupied quickly, though isn’t aware of any proposed new use, the former hospital pharmacist who bought her shop six years ago said she would still encourage others to open a business in the town.

“I’ve got very good customers and I love Pontypool, the community has been great and I’d say come give it a try.”

Mohammed Lal expanded his homeware store from Newport by opening another branch of his Danny Home chain in Crane Street. But two months on from opening in the former Wilko’s store the closure of Peacocks means he faces the prospect of being flanked on either side by two large, vacant units with Farmfoods having also closed. While that building is understood to have been sold no clear plans for its future use are known.

Mr Lal said he is already concerned at a lack of passing trade, which would likely reduce without Peacocks: “There’s not that many people passing in the street and there would be less people passing.”

Husband and wife Mary and Paul Evans have separate stalls, facing each other, on either side of the market arcade that connects Crane Street to the hall.

“We are all upset in here,” said Mrs Evans: “Peacocks has always been in town. It’s going to affect us all.”

While Torfaen Borough Council has repeatedly said most retail units in the town centre are privately owned it said it wants to support businesses “to thrive”. Its own regeneration efforts include the conversion of a public toilet block to a cafe, and support to restore a derelict church to an events space.

It has also used Welsh Government Transforming Towns funding to refurbish and re-let town centre properties.

A potential revamp of the market, a report for the council said, could help it attract “more aspirational visitors with higher disposable income”.

Fatima Jiménez Toledo opened her Xolo Mexican food stall in Pontypool Market two months ago, having moved to the town last year after living in Newport for two years.

Ms Toledo, who is originally from Puebla in Mexico, is assisted in the kitchen by her mother Ade Toledo, and said she serves: “Traditional Mexican food, not Tex-Mex.

“Mum is a traditional cook, when she was younger she did not have a blender and had to make food by hand and the way she learned to cook was with a fire and a pan.

“We’re bringing the original flavours from Mexico and doing that here in Wales and show this is real Mexican food.”

Ms Toledo said many local people have told her the relocation, several years ago, of Tesco from the centre of town to its southern boundary has hit footfall and said the loss of Peacocks wouldn’t help perceptions of the town.

“When a big branch shuts the door, in general, people think something is not going right here,” said Ms Toledo.

She however is “very positive” about trading prospects in the market and said: “I think we can attract more people to Pontypool Market and bring a new vibe to this place and attract new people who want to try a new culture.”

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