The future of a town’s “eyesore” shopping centre has been questioned as retailers have left and shops lie empty, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Concerns have been raised over Bishop Auckland’s Newgate Centre after it earned £350,000 less than expected.
Durham County Council bought the site for £3.31 million in 2022 and announced an ambition to revitalise the facility, but changes to shopping habits and the collapse of several high street retailers have left it in limbo.
Now, the local authority has admitted it faces a huge task to overhaul the site and attract new traders.
Members of the council’s corporate overview and scrutiny committee urged the council to explore new options for the prominent town centre shopping centre, with one councillor labelling it “vacant and an eyesore”.
Ed Thompson, finance manager, told of several challenges with the site. He said: “The main anchor tenants and a number of others have left, which were the main income streams.
“There are challenges with finding new tenants within Bishop Auckland town centre, especially with the Tindale shopping development.”
Bishop Auckland town centre is the subject of a multi-million-pound investment plan from the council and the Auckland Project, but high street shops are competing with the expanding retail park at Tindale.
Councillor Rob Potts, Reform member for Evenwood, said: “If you look at the car park, most days of the week, it’s empty because nobody goes into the shops. The Tindale site is going to draw in more shops out of Bishop Auckland, so the [council] staff have got a job against themselves.”
Councillors suggested splitting up the current large and empty units and converting them into “niche” shops. But other members are fearful for the site’s future.
Cllr David Walton, Reform member for Stanley, said: “I think no matter how hard the [council] officers try, they aren’t going to find tenants.”
Yet, despite the significant financial loss, council officers are determined to improve the shopping centre.
Rob Davisworth, head of corporate finance, said: “We are pursuing a number of options but there is a lack of demand. It is an issue and we don’t think we can get the level of income that we thought when we purchased the building a few years ago.
“It may well be we need to look at external organisations to support us and suggest how we can more effectively market and brand it. There is a plethora of choice on the high street in terms of alternative premises, and it takes time to bring in potential interested parties.
“There is a need to review the longevity of the site. We want to put it on a firmer footing and we are looking at various options to do so.”
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
Its not an eyesore. It is neglected. So much more could be done
It’s a shame that the whole looks unkept, the paths is like a dogs toilet, why not pull down the shops that are in disrepair, need knocked down, and replace it with wild flowers gardens ……. I feel for those who are trading, and trying to make a living, need visitors to buy from them,
That’s a blocked off entrance from Bondgate a stupid decision to fit a job centre in there !
Ian Sanderson-Simpson well said
Chris Robinson it killed bondgate that was doing well at the time.
A hapless decision to close this entrance
But Surely the new Bus Station will turn its fortunes around 🙈🙈
Fucking DCC
David Jacomb a little bird has told me that the one they on with now is just a practice one ….. you heard owt?
Paul Skim Brown dont know what you mean?
David Jacomb so when the real new bus station comes it will be bob on!!
For starters Council have done it all wrong
Blocked the walkway through to main street and built a bloomin job centre
They could have done so much more It could have been buzzing. Council are absolutely hope less
It isn’t. an eye sore and where wiii the money come from to pull it down
Get your thinking caps on and consult with the general public they probably have more idea than you
Christine Atkinson they should have demolished it and built the new leisure centre / cinema there, that way there’s more foot traffic and that would incentives business owners to invest in the future. But the easy option for DCC was to develop a brown field site on a flood plain ! But hey ! It’s easy to criticise it, but sadly we all use tindale !
Simon Romaines Yes Simon we have no choice to use Tindale
As a retired M&S staff I still get discount
Love your idea which could have been done but to late now
Council have really ruined our town also durham
I called this last year as its in the bottom half of mr millions area …. next sports direct will go up to tindale and he ll have that turned in to a museum to .. Wonder when he ll start investing in the top half of negate street ?
Joanne Rutter he did asked them to move , but they refused. X
Lisa Marie Jones its so sad that you can see all the ” redevelopment ” happening down there and nothing up the top end x
Joanne Rutter Certainly is. X
Joanne Rutter it’s not his responsibility to regenerate the high street, DCC are partially responsible for their poor decision making over many years, higher business rates, car parking fees, and they are the same council who gave the planning for phase 2 of tindale retail.
The High Street in many towns and cities are under threat, and under this current government, they have more interest in funding hotels and helping boat people rather than focusing on supporting our local towns and cities.
It was crap when I was a kid
It’s a shithole hole lot just wants pulling down
Bishop is a run down shithole. Shit pizza shops and charity shops. Deluded locals thinking this super rich investor will wave his wand. Truth is the transport links are crap, there is no money generated and the councillors are useless.
Flatten it will make a great car park
But what about CEX? Where will I go get my fix for the smell of BO, leather jackets and desperation 😩
Should have been turned into Entertainment centre
Bishop Auckland needs to riot if they get rid of this
Just as it was planned to be emptied turn it in to kyren town for his lordship built on the backs of free labour and government grants.
Abbie Crawford absolutely 💯 %
Abbie Crawford The Bishop of Durham and the CoE abandoned BA long before Mr Ruffer took an interest in the place. Successive councils destroyed the twice weekly market, which was key to BA’s trading position in the area and transfered the admin hub to Crook. Their plan to create a “night time economy and cafe culture” failed. We are left with a mostly sterile and unused place.
Mr Ruffer’s ambition brings visitors to the town and Kynren. I’m pleased someone, in Co. Durham, has the bravery and skill set to do that.
Local people certainly don’t.
Peter Stephenson pull your tounge out man your blind mate 😂😂
Abbie Crawford are you for real,
You obviously have no idea where some of the funding comes from, much of it from match funding, some from lottery and heritage grants, and very little from our rates, I accept that DCC have been involved in awarding the bid process, but that money comes from central government levelling up funds not our local rates.
Please do your research before making uneducated statements.
As far as your “free labour” statement is concerned, I think you mean “volunteers”
who if you look up the meaning you will understand how ironic your statement is, there are around 1400 people offering their “free labour” and Kynren are currently advertising quite a number of paid job opportunities for the new “The Storied Lands” project !
Simon Romaines again built on,
it was built on the backs of volunters.
Hes finally offering the odd paid bput time given the extorshonate tickets prices i went to the fire works display compared to what we had at the rugby club RUBBISH frog marched there frog marched back boring but mad prices ey bugger off its not my fault your so highly educated your totally numb in the head to the glaringly obvious.
The new bus terminal will open up the Newgate Centre for investors who are holding fire for the buses to arrive in a nice warm building.
The old bus station was a dump and not fit for purpose.
I’m told it will be Easter when it opens.
Ian Sanderson-Simpson yes old bus station was a dump but this amount of money spent on it is a disgrace it needn’t have been that big money could have gone on the town
I only use it for a short cut to the bay horse lol
Add this to look north on BBC
The stacks should take it over since they aren’t getting very far with the building over the road
Should never have blocked that entrance/exit off many would use that to get to bondgate, most of which now won’t bother therfore there is much less footfall down bondgate
It could have been part of the new bus station and saved millions
How many millions did council pay for it ….🤔🤔
Big mistake blocking the entrance from the side , stopped a lot of footfall from the car park on Bondgate .
Lisa Peacock