One year on, two East Lancashire Woolworths shops still empty (From Blackburn Citizen)

One year on, two East Lancashire Woolworths shops still empty

1:21pm Tuesday 22nd December 2009

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TWO of East Lancashire’s six former Woolworths still stand empty a year after the historic retailer went into administration.

The former high street favourite collapsed in November 2008, leading to the closure of outlets in Accrington, Blackburn, Burnley, Clitheroe, Nelson and Rawtenstall.

But only four of the units have since found new tenants.

In Nelson, where nothing has replaced Woolworths, one prominent trader that said it was because the town was 'like a cemetery'.

Nicholas Emery, who runs an electronics store and also chairs Nelson’s town centre partne-rship, said: “The old Woolworths store is in a prime location in Manchester Road so the fact that it’s empty makes you wonder about things.

“Obviously people don’t think that Nelson is a very good prospect.

“There are no new people coming into the town and our main street is like a cemetery.”

He said the pedestrianisation of Nelson had had a negative impact on town centre footfall.

In Blackburn, the town’s Woolworths unit, in The Mall, is still empty but it is understood it may form part of the new-look shopping centre, due to be ready next year.

Earlier this year, Burnley’s large former Woolworths, St James’ Street, was taken over by YMCA and turned into 'Britain’s biggest charity shop'.

With the store still trading in one of the town centre’s prime units, council leader Gordon Birtwistle said: “I would rather YMCA was in there than the unit stand empty, and to be fair, it seems to be doing quite well.

“What they are selling seems to be of interest to people, but we certainly don’t want Burnley to become the charity shop capital of the world.” Elsewhere in East Lancashire, former Woolworths stores have been successfully taken over.

In Accrington, the unit is now home to an offshoot of Oswaldtwistle Mills shopping village, while in Rawtenstall, clothing store Ethel Austin moved in.

And Clitheroe’s former Woolworth’s store now trades as WH Smith.

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