Marketplace renovation delay is causing misery for businesses

Traders on Heanor Marketplace have been hit with substantial losses as the regeneration project to rebuild the town’s centre faces an overrun.

The marketplace is currently closed - with it and the former Grammar School being rebuilt as part of a £17.8 million scheme to completely transform the face of Heanor.

According to Amber Valley Borough Council, which is overseeing the regeneration, the aim was for the marketplace to be completed by March 2024. Currently, the car park is scheduled to re-open on the 15th of April.

The lack of knowledge about alternative car parking, and the closure of the bus stops, has had a large impact on footfall.

Cafe Jak’s, on Godfrey Street, is one of the affected businesses. Its owner, Joanne Gent, said that compared to prior years, earnings are down by 37-40%.

She continued: “I’ve already dropped from three staff a day to two staff a day. You come to a point where you don’t want your staff to lose money - because they need the money.

“But they’ve got to look at it from a business point of view… your bills are going up, your food [prices] are going up… but your wages are going down, your takings are going down.

“It’s struggling. It’s really bad.”

The uncertainty has been made worse due to allegedly poor communication.
This has been a particular problem for Samantha Hallam, as she is not a
Heanor resident.

Ms Hallam, who partially owns Timewarp, “wasn’t aware of how long things were going to take”. Timewarp moved into its current shop in August, just months before work began.

There was also upset with Heanor Town Council - as despite not having control over the works - Ms Hallam said that “you would hope they would be coming and just offering you a little bit of help.”

Meanwhile, across from Timewarp on the other side of the marketplace is Jalal Safdar’s business - Heanor Phones.

It’s one of the south-side shopfronts that’s had its pathway restricted due to the proximity of the work fencing.

Mr Safdar said: “We want a plan where it’s going to bring back all the people. The regular customers we used to have coming to the marketplace.

“I’m sure in the last six months [the closure has] changed their habit. They’ve started going elsewhere. So how do you bring back those people?”

The pathway restriction is not just impacting businesses however, for some shoppers the reduced accessibility can prove particularly challenging.

Dawn Campion, a local who requires a wheelchair for assistance, stated: “Trying to get around the cage [her description of the fencing] is intimidating.

“You can’t get into a lot of the shops because you haven’t got the turning circle, and if there’s two wheelchairs… or a wheelchair and a pushchair… there’s not enough room either so you can’t do shopping.

“It’s preventing children from going to the youth clubs because it doesn’t feel safe. It’s worse than a jitty.”

There is some optimism though, as the re-opening of the car park is likely to bring back some of the lost customers.

Additionally, Joanne Gent wanted to be clear: “We’re not saying it’s not going to be good when it’s done, it’ll be amazing for the town, but businesses have only just gotten over COVID.”

Addressing concerns, Amber Valley Borough Council said: “We understand that construction can be inconvenient, and we're taking measures to make the process as smooth as possible.

“By completing the project in phases, we aim to maintain accessibility and convenience.

“Our focus remains as Shop Local, Shop Heanor and we encourage the community to support their local stores.”

Ben Mellor, Ilkeston Life April 2024

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