A WINSFORD trader has spoken out against the declining state of Winsford Cross shopping centre and said more needs to be done to help independent stores survive.

Mike Carlin, who runs the Thornton’s Hallmark shop, is one of only a handful of independent retailers left in the town and says expensive rates and rents are making it harder than ever to earn a decent living.

Mike, who signed a 10 year lease for his store in Dingle Walk eight years ago, said: “I pay £30,000 in rents and £11,000 in rates to the council; it doesn’t matter whether or not I make a profit, which is the difficulty in running a shop these days.

“If I was to leave the town centre now, before my lease is up, it would cost me £80,000.

“It is very expensive considering the footfall is falling all the time.

“If the town centre owners reduced the rents and gave people more reasonable terms then I think things could improve, but it is also the people that are still on the town centre that need to be helped.”

With dwindling hope of regeneration and an increasing number of vacant units, more and more people are choosing to shop elsewhere.

And the town centre was dealt another major blow last week after major retailer Peacocks closed its doors, with Bonmarche set to follow this weekend.

“It is becoming almost impossible to make a decent living,” added Mike.

“With Peacocks and Bonmarche closing people have no reason to walk up to this end of the shopping centre anymore because it is so deserted.

“Every time a store closes down, it affects us – especially when they are only being replaced by value shops, which tend to attract people who perhaps haven’t got much money and probably won’t want to spend it in our store.

“People are angry; customers come into the shop and want to know what is going on.

“I think the town centre has developed a reputation now. Nowhere is good but I think Winsford and Northwich are particularly bad at the minute.

“It is a shame, if you look around Winsford it is a lovely town and there are plenty of people who want to buy but they are becoming less and less because of the state of the town centre.

“If we had a good mix of shops it wouldn’t be so bad. The town centre is nice and compact and all undercover but the traders feel like they are on their own.

“We spend a lot of money, yet we don’t get to talk to the town centre owners. It is very worrying.”