Concerns have been voiced about the number of empty shops in part of Nottingham city centre. Gin bar Gincident became the latest to vacate a unit in the Friar Lane and Maid Marian Way area of the city recently.
It follows a number of closures across the city. Residents admitted the area needed some support with the closure of Nottingham Castle having an impact on footfall and trade.
Sarah Maloy, owner of Shop Zero on Friar Lane, said: "The castle not being open isn’t attracting people down this end. My shop has been affected by the cost of living crisis and people are spending less.”
Read more: Shoppers show support for Nottingham city streets with large number of empty units
Reece Hutchington, from Beeston, works as a sales assistant. He said: “There’s always hope, isn’t there?
“It’s not just here [Maid Marian Way] with empty units, it’s the whole of the city centre but because this part isn’t so central I can imagine that the remaining businesses may struggle even more compared to if they were on the Market Square or Clumber Street.”
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Others suggested making improvements to Maid Marian Way. Jane Malton, 59, of Carlton, said: “Maid Marian Way is quite bare but there are still shops open which is the main thing. Hopefully, those shops survive and even if rents slightly come down, maybe they’ll be more of an interest in the area.”
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Nina Stephenson, 25, lives in the city centre. She said: “This isn’t a part of town that I use a lot. I think that Maid Marian Way could do with brightening up. I know that Nottingham is quite arty so maybe something could be done in that aspect.”
The student nurse added: “If it was more appealing of course I’d shop more here. I think I’ve been to Kaspas once or twice but that’s about it.”
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