One Trowbridge shopping centre grows while another falters

Fruit and vegetable supplier SK Fruits is planning to move from The Mall at Castle Place Shopping Centre in Trowbridge following what they call a dramatic drop in footfall.

The business owners have posted a note on its shop window saying they are planning to relocate "soon" to The Shires shopping centre nearby.

A note on the window at SK Fruits says it plans to move out of Castle Place to The Shires shopping centre. Photo: Trevor Porter 70292-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The number of shoppers using Castle Place has fallen following the departure of the Wilkinson’s, Shaws the Draper and Mainlys Mica hardware stores.

Abdalla Elspeey of SK Fruits wants to move to The Shires shopping centre. (Image: John Baker)

SK Fruits owner Abdalla Elspeey, 42, said: “It has been really difficult here. It is just very bad. I’ve had to lay off staff because we can’t afford them.

“Hopefully, it will be better at The Shires. There is more traffic there.

"I want to move now but it depends on The Shires manager."

This was the scene ast mid-day on Wednesday last week at the Castle Place shopping centre. Photo: Trevor Porter 70292-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

SK Fruits hopes to take on some open space in The Shires mall close to the Iceland store that was formerly occupied by a Sky TV and broadband vendor.

The Shires has two units currently under offer and is negotiating with potential tenants to fill vacant space in several other units.

The Shires centre manager Sarah Moore said: “It’s all looking positive and very good at the moment.”

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Since January, The Shires has been owned by London & Cambridge Properties, which is part of M Core, one of the UK's largest commercial property companies.

The former Sports Direct store in The Shires could soon be occupied, as a potential tenant is in legal discussions to take the space.

Nationwide bakery retail chain Greggs is understood to be planning to move from Unit 38 in The Shires to the much larger 3,886 square feet Unit 27 next to Superdrug.

Unit 27 is also under offer at The Shires with Greggs said to be planning to take the space. (Image: LCP)

Mrs Moore says they have also received some interest from a potential tenant to occupy Unit I outside the Castle Street entrance to The Shires.

The 1,451 sq ft unit is also under offer following recent construction work to install two new windows to make it more attractive to retailers.

Unit 1 outside the Castle Street entrance to The Shires is under offer. (Image: LCP)

Mrs Moore said that a deal is also "fairly imminent" for a new tenant to occupy Unit 24 vacated by Carphone Warehouse.

LCP has even split up some of the units to attract local small businesses in a bid to make the most of the space on offer.

Mrs Moore also says Calendar Club is planning to come back to the centre in early November to take some open space in the mall outside Superdrug.

In contrast, the fortunes of Castle Place are on the slide, with only around 14 tenants left occupying space, including nine traders in the market hall.

The company managing Castle Place is still being tight-lipped about a potential bid to buy the centre after it was withdrawn from a public auction in September for the second time this year.

A spokesperson for the shopping centre managers, APAM UK Ltd, said a few weeks ago: "We do not comment on private transactions."

The previous £1.2 million deal to buy Castle Place collapsed in July when the potential buyer failed to complete the purchase.