SHOP owners in The Shires have shared mixed opinions about how business is going in the shopping centre this week.

There are currently nine vacant premises in The Shires, which opened in 1990 and includes a mixture of high street chains and independent retailers.

Managers of the more recognised brands say business is good in The Shires, with steady footfall, but there are aspects which could be improved.

Stephanie Walsh, manager of clothing shop Bonmarche, said: “Luckily for us footfall is good here but it’s not hard to see that lots of shops are closing in The Shires.

“I think the current situation is a shame. People shouldn’t have to go to Bath for certain brands – this is the county town but some beautiful buildings have been allowed to go to ruin which makes it an eyesore and puts people off shopping here.

“If the town continues to die, shoppers will go elsewhere – it’s as simple as that. There should be more initiatives to make traders want to come and open up here.”

A planning application to turn the use of an empty premises from retail to leisure, presumably a gym, in The Shires has been submitted to Wiltshire Council, with a target decision date of Friday, April 28.

Katherine Addison, manager of The Body Shop, said: “You have to keep up with the times.

“We’ve built a strong customer base here by providing excellent customer service and we’re doing very well.

“Big retailers tend to go to Bath and Bristol but I think they’re missing a trick as not everyone wants to leave the town to go shopping.

“I think it will be good for the town centre when M&S opens on the outskirts because people will see it when they drive past and will be more inclined to want to come into the centre.”

It is understood that one of the empty premises, near to the Castle Street entrance, will soon be taken up by an independent jeweller.

Paul Lillywhite, owner of Executive Shoe Repairs, said: “We moved here in October and it’s been going pretty well.

“I actually think the town centre is coming back slowly but surely, especially for businesses like mine.

“People don’t want to get their keys cut on the internet, they want to have a one-to-one service.”

Some business owners agreed with Mrs Walsh, saying more needs to be done to market Trowbridge to shoppers.

Sally Pinto, owner of Intermezzo Express, said: “We’ve been established here for 17 years and we do pretty well, but it was a big loss to us when Capita Software Services moved to Chippenham late last year.

“The problem with Trowbridge is that it’s not a tourism town – pretty much everyone who shops in the town centre is a local.

“I think the town council needs to do more to bring people in, it has definitely got quieter in recent years and we’re very quiet after 3.30pm.”

Rob Pearce, owner of Picture Shack, said: “The business rates are too high in my opinion, it’s much cheaper to have a space in the town outside The Shires.

“Roundstone Street used to be the busiest street but now it’s dead – it isn’t hard to see that the town centre is shifting.

“More and more people are opting for online shopping rather than face-to-face; 35 per cent of my business is now done online.

“Why would people want to pay the extortionate rates when they can do it all for free from home?”

Lajos Hajnal, who works at Mobilebooth, said: “It’s very busy at weekends but it can be quiet on the week, especially on Mondays.

“There’s a lot of competition for phone accessory shops in Trowbridge so we try to stay ahead by offering a wide range of quality phone cases in a range of different styles.”