A POLL has been launched to see what kind of shop people in Ludlow would like to replace Budgens in the town centre.

The small supermarket has announced that it intends to close, leaving a gap in the town centre.

It will mean that, within a short space of time, Ludlow will lose nearly half of its retail selling space.

Andy Boddington, who represents the town on Shropshire Council, has launched the poll on his website.

He said that the store is expected to close within months if not weeks.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has said that the closure shows that the town does not need a new supermarket (see page 2).

“There is no date yet for the closure and no retailer lined up to replace the supermarket,” said Andy Boddington.

“The closure is expected in weeks not months. I am sorry most of all for the staff, who look set to lose their jobs.

“I am not surprised that Budgens has decided to close its Ludlow store. It doesn’t seem to have many customers at any time of the day. But I worry that if another retailer doesn’t move in quickly, this area of town could suffer. And the last thing we want is a reduction in choice in the town.

“One Stop, the next store to Budgens, is due to close later in the year to allow the site to be redeveloped. The post office within One Stop will need to find a new home. Many people hoped it would move into Budgens but unless a new retailer moves in quickly, that is now looking unlikely.”

Andy Boddington is concerned about the knock-on effect that the closure of Budgens will have on the town centre.

“The loss of One Stop, Budgens and the post office, will lead to a significant reduction in footfall on Tower Street and the top of Galdeford.

“That will have a knock-on effect on trade for other shops and food outlets. The Tower Street area has been on the up of late. It is full of decent shops and places to eat. I fear the loss of Budgens and One Stop will hit the other businesses in this locality.”

He fears that the closure of the supermarket in the centre of the town will result in people gravitating to Tesco and Aldi which are away from the main centre of the town where most of the independent shops are located.

“Some people come into Ludlow town centre to visit just one shop or eat and drink at just one pub, café or restaurant.

“But most will visit a few shops, or shop then find something to drink or eat. If two of our major town centre convenience stores close – Budgens and One Stop – we will lose a lot of those trips where shoppers go from one retailer to another. That could damage the viability of our town centre.

“With the closure of these two stores, it will be inevitable that shoppers drift to the bottom of town, Tesco and Aldi. That will weaken trade in the core of the town centre.

“At the moment, we have around 58,000 square feet of general grocery space in the heart of the town centre. We will lose 27,000 square feet of this with the closure of Budgens and One Stop.

“That’s nearly half the space dedicated to selling general groceries in the primary shopping areas of our town. We need to sell general groceries in the town centre to serve the daily needs of people who live and shop there.”