Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, has expressed his regret at the news of the closure of Welshpool’s Spar, laying blame for the supermarket’s recent difficulties squarely on the town’s controversial one way system.
Blakemore Retail, the company which owns Spar, announced that the store would close on the 3rd August. The closure will cost several jobs.
Commenting on the closure, Glyn Davies MP said:
“The Spar has been a strong presence on the Welshpool retail scene for over half a century and its closure is a loss to the town. There is no doubt in my mind that it has been killed off by the one way system.
“When the one-way system was first proposed, I was involved in discussions about the future of the Spar, who told me that the new road system would threaten the viability of the store without substantial change to the plans. Inability to accommodate the unloading of delivery vehicles would make the store operation increasingly difficult.
“It is sad that local people working in the Spar are losing their jobs because of unwise changes to the road network.
“I am sure that the arrival in Welshpool of the new Tesco store will also have had an impact on the Spar’s trading performance, but I am certain that the one-way system has been the main cause of the closure.”
