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Residents 'lose faith' after town's shop closures

Daisy Bodkin,Gloucestershire and
Carmelo Garcia,Local Democracy Reporter
News imageCarmelo Garcia The view of a high street. There's a roundabout and a zebra crossing on the road. There's a row of shops on the street. Cars are parked further along the road. The sky is clear and blue, hills can be seen in the background. Carmelo Garcia
A number of shops have recently closed in the market town

Residents say they have "lost faith" following a number of shop and small business closures in recent years.

Nikki Norman, who lives in Cinderford in the Forest of Dean, and runs a local pub, said she has hosted a number of events for residents, many of whom feel disheartened by the decline of the high street.

"There are no shops to browse around, there's nowhere for people to go," she said.

Cinderford Town Council is working with Forest of Dean District Council and Gloucestershire County Council on a regeneration plan. Town council chairman Graham Morgan said: "We're trying to do everything we can to encourage people to come into the town centre."

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Norman, who runs The Golden Lion, said she hosted a range of events to provide a community space for residents. She said despite having "no footfall", her business is still doing well.

"People come to us because they want to...we don't get any passing trade like we used to," she said.

She said her customers say they have "lost faith" in the town as a shopping and leisure destination.

"They want more activities and more shops," Norman said.

Lynne Burns, who co-owns Exodus Hair Salon on Cinderford High Street, described the closures in the area as "really sad".

Burns, who was born and raised in Cinderford but now lives in Ross-on-Wye, said the town was very different when she was younger.

"My mum did all of her shopping in town...it used to be absolutely thriving," she said.

News imageCarmelo Garcia A street view with a shelter, pavement and clock tower. Someone is stood beneath the shelter and there is another person sat on a bench on the pavement. There are a couple cars on the road. The sky is blue with some clouds. Carmelo Garcia
Business owner Lynne Burns said the situation in Cinderford was "really sad"

Morgan said the high street problems in Cinderford reflected what was happening across the country, with the main reason for shops closing being blamed on the rise of online shopping.

"I just can't see it coming back in the way it was. Shopping habits have changed, we've all got to recognise that," he said.

According to the Local Democracy Service, Morgan believed the area had never recovered from the closure of major employer Rank Xerox, which shut its nearby Mitcheldean site in the early 2000s.

Graham said local authorities are trying to attract more footfall by cleaning up the town, installing picnic benches and organising events such as a continental street market, which is planned for June.

Reform UK county councillor Ray Donaghue, who represents the area at Gloucestershire County Council, said councils and contractors need to focus on "making the town feel welcoming".

"There are many good people in Cinderford who care deeply about the current decline, and more are stepping forward to help," he added.

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