Primark has responded to hopes of a store coming to one "forgotten" town.
People living in Skelmersdale have frequently said how the town has been overlooked through the years. Like many towns, Skem's centre has been struggling for the past two decades, with the Concourse shopping centre, known locally as the Conny, being the focal point - inside it, many shops have closed have come and gone over the years.
When the ECHO visited the town last week, one resident, Leanne Downes, 38, told the ECHO said how she felt Skem been "neglected." She said: "Skem has been neglected for a long, long time. Not just in terms of shops but in terms of usage of children’s services and that sort of stuff, I myself work in children’s services."
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But those living in Skelmersdale have hope for new beginnings following the opening of new development, Tawd Valley Centre. On June 9, major retailer Lidl opened its doors to customers and on July 6 B&M will also follow suit.
Leanne added how the new development is good for people living there and for the town's economy, and said: “I think it is good for the town and good for morale and to see we have been finally allocated some money. It’s good for the economy and good for the people.
"I mean we have got all these new houses being built and we needed something like this for a long term. We just need something now in the way of doctors and dentists and all that kind of stuff but every little bit.” West Lancashire Council said the new town centre complex is part of the regeneration plan for Skelmersdale.
Although many of the people the ECHO spoke to last week were happy to see the town centre complex opening, some said it needed more. Taxi driver Barry Smith, who has lived in Skem for around 30 years, said the town is in need of a clothes store, particularly something like Primark.
He told the ECHO: “No men’s clothes shops. Dunnes is that still open? There is so many shops being shut in the Conner [Concourse]. Primark we have harped on about it for years. We could do with a Primark, saves people going to Wigan. We haven’t got a Primark or Matalan."
Currently, in the town there is a Peacocks, New Look, George at Asda and a small selection of independent shops. People said they have to travel to places such as Wigan, Liverpool and Southport for places such as Primark.
The ECHO decided to ask Primark if has considered Skelmersdale as a place to open a new store in. A Primark spokesperson said: “We continually review opportunities for expansion of the Primark business however, as you'd expect, we don't comment on speculation about where or when we might open our next stores.”
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