Shoppers in Long Eaton say the town needs ‘its originality and buzz back’. New Look in Long Eaton closed in March 2021 and was put up for sale in February 2021, leading to some residents saying there was a lack of places to buy clothes from.
The retailer also previously closed stores in Beeston and Arnold which left shoppers ‘gutted’. With the closure of the store, shoppers say there is only Tesco or Asda left for them to shop at.
We spoke to local residents who gave their views on what they want to see in the high street. Linda McKay, who is 70 and is retired, told Nottinghamshire Live that she hopes for more clothes stores. Mrs McKay said: “We could do with a nice ladies shop - there’s nowhere. You could have one women's side and one men's side. They should have a one that's more mature.
“We could do a whole lot of things in Long Eaton. At one time people used to come from all over the place to Long Eaton. We need to get some of its originality back and give it more of a buzz. We could do with a good electrician somewhere that sells electric goods.”
The high street welcomed Savers last year which opened in January in the building that was formerly Dorothy Perkins after it closed in 2019. Another shopper, Alan Barker, 77, from Breaston, says the town is currently all charity shops and coffee bars and that you have to go to the supermarkets for clothes.
Mr Barker said: “There’s loads of barbers, there’s Boots and Savers for medical stuff. There’s not really a decent butcher - not in the middle of town here. As for New Look, I knew a few people that used it and they were disappointed when it closed down. A lot of people go to Beeston because it’s better but even then there are no clothes shops for men and women. No gent's stores since Swanns closed down. You have to go to Tesco or George at Asda. At the moment it’s all charity shops and coffee bars.”
Long Eaton lost Rowells in 2018 which was in the town for more than 100 years, the store sold everything from curtains to jumpers and underwear. Keith Dunn, who is 67, retired and from Beeston, told Nottinghamshire Live that the high street has seen better days. Mr Dunn said: “The main high street is dying - we want something that’s going to benefit the community. Personally I would like to see a proper men's shop.
Shopper Emma Morrison, 44, a cleaner from Long Eaton, says that the town needs something for the young ones. “Something like skateboarding,” she said. "Gothic and skateboarding stuff. Something that would be good for the kids, there’s not much for the young ones, there's a few oldish shops.”
Councillor Bryn Lewis, Lead Member for Town Centres at Erewash Borough Council told Nottinghamshire Live: “These are really exciting times for Long Eaton following the confirmation of £24.8 in government funding for the town in June 2021. A number of multi-million pound projects, spearheaded by the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, will transform Long Eaton into a vibrant modern town over the next decade.
“New businesses are already breathing new life into the town centre, including two new bars which have recently opened. I’m also working with the Long Eaton Chamber of trade to promote Long Eaton as the ‘centre of quality upholstery manufacture in the UK’. Supporting our town centres is a priority for Erewash and this is set out in our Economic Development Strategy for the borough.”
