Preston's 25 empty shops and street of shutters - what business owners say is needed for the city to thrive
"There's not much left is there," one shopper can be heard saying to her partner as they shelter from the elements, deciding where in Preston they are going to go next.
LancsLive counted 25 empty stores when taking a stroll around the city on a cold, wet Thursday afternoon. A walk down the top half of Friargate saw nearly all the shops on one side of the road closed with shutters down. When asked about the number of empty shops, Jade said that it was 'awful', and that it was the rent that was stopping people from moving in to them.
She said: "I feel the council need to help the businesses that are already here. Bringing in short term tenants who stay for a year or six months does nothing for the city. There's enough takeaways, enough charity shops and betting shops, so unless they reduce the rent rates I'm not really sure how else they're going to fill those shops.
Louise said: "We need some big chains to come. The highstreets is filled with cafe's and banks and charity shops. We're across from that big empty department store, its got to attract someone to come here. Personally I'd like to see a Zara or something like that here, or even some other names that'll get people into town.
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