The shopping centres premier shop is closing down , what with all the vacant shops and the indoor market half empty or half full what is becoming of our town centre.

No doubt Mr Drummond and Wright are on the case . GOD HELP US!!!

The place is going to the dogs. I'm sure they'll find another Poundland, Poundstretcher, Pound whatever to fill the gap eventually

Westgate is shite. Vastly overpriced and cack gear. Not surprised that it's closing.

Just think how big a pound shop you could fit into that building though.

The company I work for fits till systems in shops. Last year I was trying to persuade a gadgie who works for one of the pound store chains that he should buy our system, and we got talking about Hartlepool.

He said it is prime pound store territory, and their store in the town did cracking business. He reckons there are a handful of towns around the UK (of which Hartlepool is one) which will never really develop a diverse retail culture.

One of the reasons is people's adversity to credit and store cards (which I don't think is a bad thing). Down south particularly lots of people will get credited up to the eyeballs just so they can be seen in their DKNY etc.

I used to work for a firm that supplied the Ikea storecard, and they did some research to see whether Ikea ought to open a branch to cover the Hartlepool/Stockton/Billingham/Boro/Darlo area. The population size and transport links seemed to be about right. However, the research indicated that the store would perform pretty badly, as people in this area were a bit behind the times when it came to accepting 'modern' shopping concepts like Ikea.

I don't know if times have changed (research was done about 8 years ago), but every time I go to Hartlepool or Boro town centre there seems to be more and more value retailers and less of the more prestigious high street chains. Who knows though, I remember when Glasgow was a complete dump and now its one of the top shopping cities in the UK.

Poundshops are OK for toiletries and other bits and pieces......, but I can never see one opening where I live!, it would have to be a £5 shop

I think Hartlepool shopping centre is heading towards the same standard as Billingham and Peterlee rather than Glasgow

Westgates is pants but it is the flagship store of the town centre, my worry is the decline of the town centre. We hear all this hot air in the mail from Drummond and Wright about how good the town is and yet everything appears to be closing down.

Basically there isnt enough money in the town to sustain anything decent whether it be a restaurant, department store , hotel or a successful football club.

Whilst the Marina and the wine bars and restaurants are great, a great majority of the town is strewn with litter, there is dogshite and broken glass all over the place, Drummond, the Hartlepool branch of the Labour and local council are CRAP.

Hartlepool needs to be a marginal seat, they would soon shape up then

What a load of toss.

"The vast majority of the town"?

Which part of it do you live in to come up with that theory?

It's certainly not the case in my experience and it's crap attitudes like that which make people think bad of the town.

But why let facts get in the way of a sly dig at the mayor eh?

Where I live we supply Westgate and all the pound shops in the UK and a pound here gets you two days meals.

I know, 'cos I seen it.

There must be two Hartlepools then Ripper, have good look around, there is loads of rubbish all around the remaining streets near the town centre, the centre it's self is minging, Church Street is awful, Seaton Carew is a dying a slow painful death, the Headland, one of the oldest and most historic areas in the North East is ignored, crap flats and houses are being slamed up on almost very bit of land, decent shops and schemes are closing, but you can open a pub and a wine bar without almost any objection, or am I wrong????

PS

How long has the Major been at the helm now...., just because he's a 'canny lad' (Copyright the good folk of Hartlepool), there has been ball all change in the town, is he to blame for any of this, does he sit there in meetings and say nack all?

Dead clean around here, lots of slum clearance going on, new blocks going up, roads swept, rubbish cleared every couple of hours. I saw it today.

You're wrong.




Another dig.

I'm sure we'd have been much better with little Leo Gillen instead wouldn't we.

'Easy profit.'

I take it you were one of the people interviewed by the Ikea card market researchers?

It's not a 'dig', its a question Ripper, just because he used to dress as Monkey for 'Pools doesnt mean he can't be to blame for ANYTHING?

Maybe I'm wrong but I'd rather have the likes of Mr Drummond who genuinely wants the best for the town and will fight the self serving party nest builders than some sleazy career party man like Wright or Gillen who would happily screw the town, their mother or any passing stray cat if they thought it was in the best interests of their party and would put a few quid in some less than honest pockets.

I want to know where all this 'broken glass all over the place' is or have TA invented that?

I've not seen it either.

But it's a good way to slag the town off and have a go at the mayor innit.

What does it matter that it isn't true eh.

It does really annoy me that so many northern towns have areas that are just being left to decay, tho. I think the town centre in Hartlepool (which is the area most visitors will see, and which will influence their view of the town) is really soulless and depressing-looking.
I couldn't say who's responsible for it, certainly it pre-dates the mayor, but when you think of how colourful the old Lynn St/Musgrave St areas used to be, and think that those buildings were pulled down for the present lot....words fail you a bit

The town centre is a fooking dump though, mind, its probably no worse than other towns the same size. Could do with a few million spending on it but who's gonna pay for it!!

Isn't Drummond behind the mail campaign to highlight all the dumps in Hartlepool and get something sorted?????

No, we've noticed it too....and the rubbish flying around the streets near the Vic. Again, it's the area people see when they're coming into the town, whereas if you live there you see other bits too.

It's a term of endearment, normally used for areas which could do with a good clean.....

Don't get me wrong, Hartlepool is no worse then any other town of a similar size and 'demographic', but it COULD be a thousand times better....

Seaton could be a show piece, but it has it has been left to rot, there AREN'T any decent shops in the town centre and the council (and surely the Mayor) should be pulling their puds out to improve these things....

When the tall ships arrive, where will these visitors stay, in Hartlepool or outside and travel in each day?
Where will they shop? and so on and so forth

So where is this broken glass? I might go and have a look. I haven't seen any in ages and if it's 'all over the place' then I might go and help clean it up.

Anyone want to help me? Ripper?

Try Tankerville Street, be careful not to step in the dogshite whilst you are looking.....

I'll have a look tomorrow seeing as I am off work and need to go down near there. I will report back with my findings, any other roads I should look on; I am intrigued by this supposed glass which I have never seen.

Would I be better off parking the car up and walking because if there is glass 'all over the place' I don't want my tyres to get ripped to shreds.

Ah right, so the mayor should be ringing up Al Fayed and telling him to open one of his shops in Middleton Grange? Maybe in place of Westgates?

Or getting onto Debenhams and House of Fraser and explaining that they should open a shop here for the general good of the town and knackers to their profits if nobody shops in them?

Please tell me that you're kidding and that you don't really think that?!

Can't he take any part in attracting new businesses to the town, or isn't that part of his remit, to increase the town's visability??

If it isnt, I apolgise

You're not kidding are you.

I didn't realise that some people still held such simplistic views of life.

The main reason shops such as you speak dont come to towns is simple.

Business rates vs likely turnover vs likely shoplifting vs likely burglary.

Answer = minus margin.

I know, I've seen it.

Do you know that he isn't just out of interest?

isnt the reason there is so much crap on the streets the fault of the residents.
i often go to work before 5 in the morning and the crap from the take aways on the streets is shocking
about 7am the cleaners arrive to try and smarten the town up before joe public gets there
the amount of broken glass / bottles around the open market area victoria road is shocking but by 8.30 its mostly gone
the tidyness of the town is OUR responsibility as well
dont throw your kebab wrapper (dibbs ) put it in a bin
we can blame mr drummond all you like but he isnt out there throwing the crap about
i see most of the town on a regular basis and it is a LOT CLEANER now than it used to be

rant over

What the feck is common sense doing on an internet message board

How many more shops have to close before this council opens its eyes.

If you wanna blame someone, or something, blame the years and years of municipal stagnation under the Labour party, a group who seemed to take a communal sulk when their man never got the Mayors job so I wouldn't expect them to bust a gut to help the guy. The bigger the rocks hurled in his diection the more I imagine the 'established' parties love it.

sorry will try not to let it happen again

The shopping centre is ran by a private company, Cushlow & Wakefield who are responsible for finding, servicing and keeping tenants happy. Unfortunately as a private company they have to make their own profits which in turn means that they hike their rates up which in turn forces the tenants to get the fook out of there as they can't afford to stay

It has nowt to do with the council or the mayor other than the fact that they also want better/more stores in the centre the same as everyone else but lets face it which stores want to shell out a fortune in rent in the hope of keeping thieves out and breaking even when they can travel 30 mins up the road to somewhere like the Metrocentreand achieve that for not much more outlay.

If it were my shopping chain it wouldn't take me long to decide

Oh, come on, it MUST be the councils fault! Everything is

Its a complete dump. Drummond has done nothing at all... he didnt even suply the schools with Banana's like promised!!

Dog shite all over the place, the people in the town dont give a flying fook about it's appearance. if any do they are a tiny minority. I've never seen a single stretch of pavement with the amount of dog shite on it as there is along welldeck road. Disgusting!

I know what TA is talking about like. I will never move back to Hartlepool, ive seen better things elsewhere.

The shopping centre is a complete state. It will probably end up being a Netto or a LIDL.

Annoyed with the way the council run the town full stop.

Liam, for an intelligent fella that has got to be the biggest load of cack you've ever posted in your life mate

Is dog shite exclusive to Hartlepool?

As for the Mayor, he's doing a fine job. At least he gives a fook about the town and strives to make it a better place. What about the clean up operation he has spearheaded? You know - Operation clean sweep, which was his idea.

Where do you live now BTW?

Its not closing for good. It will reopen in a few weeks time after refurbishment and reorganization.

The shite isn't put down by the mayor, council, pub and shop owners, it's the responsibilty of the ignorant, arrogant ones who create it.

This litter, rubbish & lack of responsibility is a nationwide thing, not restricted to Hartlepool. I live in an area that was supposed to be the 2nd most desirable in the country, following a study and reported in the serious Sunday papers. Well if that is so it is a sad indictment of the rest of the country. There's usually litter on most streets, broken glass, discarded flyers, graffiti, plastic bags full of rubbish, empty plastic bags and those floor mounted shop signs all over the place.
People just seem not to care any more and if someone leaves litter all over the place someone else uses it as an excuse to do the same – saying the damage is already done.
Irresponsibility & lack of respect by the minority spoil it for everyone else.

Mind you, we haven’t got a Westgates that’s closing, even temporarily, but most of the small independent shops are under threat from the larger supermarkets.

You know where i live man. Dont you? allegedly 'The 2nd worst place to live in the UK' COMPLETE BULLSHIT!!!!! Hull City is a really nice and booming with business and activities. Superb shopping precincts and high streets. How many mens wear shops is there in Hartlepool? 2? 3? How many Greggs? 44? 45? 46? how many macdonalds? 1,092? more take away shops than actual shopping shops!!!

Immigration is class!

Hull is as much of a dump as some people are making Hartlepool out to be. I spent about 5 or 6 years down there.

Have you had a wander round Bransholme or Orchard Park? Or round some of the "nicer" parts of East Hull?

I did security work on Orchard Park, it was an eye opener!

"Menswear shops"?? Give me strength. How many shops do you want to look in to buy a pair of jeans? Are you a bird trapped in a bloke's body?

Right,

When did you move away?

Brandsholme is currently getting redeveloped and orchard park is a no go place for me, and i dont live anywhere near it. I live on the dock so im kind of blinkered from the bad parts i guess.

The people who i work with have family in brandsholme and they reckon its nice.

Hull is the 'Innovative City' ploughing 100 of millions into it, to make it the fastest growing city in the England - take the title away from Leeds.

Nice place like.

Do i want to buy crap jeans? NO.
Do i want a decent choice? YES
Am i a girl in a boys body? Whos askin?

Even with 100's of millions ploughed in, you can't polish a turd