Businesses being 'destroyed' by demolition work triple whammy

MANSFIELD businesses say their livelihoods are being “destroyed” by a triple whammy of demolition work near their premises

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

The destruction of a multi-storey car park dating from the 1970s and two huge shopping centres means footfall has “died” for many of those trading on Stockwell Gate, just west of Mansfield’s market place, who are in close proximity to all three demolition sites.

Demolition work on the Rosemary Centre and former Beales department store have long been planned, but the work on the Walkden Street car park was ordered as an emergency after part of its top floor collapsed in August.

Part of Stockwell Gate has now been closed ahead of the imminent demolition of the car park and the three shops at the base of it - previously occupied by B&M, Bolek I Lolek Foods and the British Heart Foundation.

Those shops were forced to leave, but businesses opposite the “mess” are still being expected to trade as normal.

Jane Taylor opened The Kutting Zone barbers on Stockwell Gate around four years ago and was happy to see her businesses gradually growing, but she is now losing around £50 a day.

The 58-year-old said: “It’s going to kill businesses that have been doing well, not making a fortune, but we were all making a living here and that's being destroyed.

“I've got to the point where I've just thought ‘it'll be what it’ll be,’ because I've been having sleepless nights over this.

“If they don’t do something, this is going to be a ghost town around here, when the whole point should be about making the town better.”

Jamshid Jawakili is from Bulwell and works at the Razor Kings barbers.