Another closure

I hear that the 'New Yorker' in Imrie Place is closing at close of business next Saturday, 27th. Having failed as a Riley's and now the current owners bailing out whilst they can could it be 3rd time lucky for a new owner or will it just become another stat in the list of premises empty in Penicuik. Its a shame, a great place to go with friendly staff but unfortunately just not enough people using it..

Very sad to see another place closing down. At this rate we might need to get some of the local bands to record a cover of the classic song "Ghost Town" to raise money.
I have also heard that another new retail outlet very close to the New Yorker is not doing as well as expected with staff unhappy about reduced hours and having to phone in to see if they are needed.

It seems the New yorker is closing its doors as they have put a notice up on their facebook page stating that they will be closed on Sat 27th March until further notice and anyone with cues left behind to go and pick them up. Its sad but I am not suprised, they stopped opening during the day and on Wednesdays so it was only going to be a matter of time. I know Reiley's went into administration, if they weren't making much money out of it the new people didnt stand a chance as I think they were just a family trying to run it, shame though.

As for the retail outlet next to it that everyone was so desperate to approve and get, that doesnt surprise me either!

Today the "Pound Shop" had a sign on the door saying "Shop Closed."

It didn't say "Closed due to illness/ weather/ some other reason." It just said "Shop Closed."

Anyone know what's happening?

Here's hoping it's just a temporary shop closed sign. Your right it was very much a family concern which helped make it a far better place than when O'Rileys had it, I suspect one of the major factors though is that is such a big building to keep going. Also heard a suggestion that the Crescent snooker club is up for sale.

Pound Mania still closed today so it looks like another empty shop in High Street. I hope someone can do something soon as it is not the most pleasant place at the moment - it certainly won't attract anyone to come and shop in Penicuik!

This isn't good.

I tried phoning Pound Mania in Perth....... The phone just rang and rang....
I phoned them in Oban to ask what's going on. The company went in to liquidation last week. The Penicuik branch has already closed and the Oban branch closes on Friday.

Another empty shop for Penicuik.

Of course as has been said before this is not a unique issue to Penicuik, if anything its just keeping up with so many other towns across the country, unfortunately that is the way things are and whilst the government might try to persuade us that we are out of recession and things are beginning to take a turn for the better it is the high streets and unemployed that can tell the real story...

There's notice of a planning application relating to the Clydesdale Bank building. Someone wants to do some alterations and then open it as a bistro bar.

Okay, we like the prospect of an empty building becoming occupied again........... But what's the point if it kills off the existing bistro and creates another empty building just across the road.

I hope a bit of sense prevails on this one.

A tapas bar, yes.
A Greek restaurant, yes.
Any national flavour of any damn thing you fancy, yes.

But not French! We've already got one, thank you, and it's worth helping rather than ruining.

rubbereye wrote:

There's notice of a planning application relating to the Clydesdale Bank building. Someone wants to do some alterations and then open it as a bistro bar.

Judging by the correspondence on the Midlothian Online Planning site, it seems that this is the same people who wanted to open a curry house there. He is even using the same story about the premises being empty since 2003 when all you have to do is look at the sign in the windows which says it closed in January 2006.
I have to agree that we need something different rather than more of the same which just results in eventual closure.

I've just heard that a shop called the factory shop is to be opening in Penicuik. Does anyone know anything more about it?

Is this them?

http://www.theoriginalfactoryshop.co.uk/

There's loads of stuff on google, but no mention of Penicuik as part of their plans.

http://www.jobisjob.co.uk/penicuik/the-original-factory-shop/assistant-manager-new-store/job-offer-ls7n6jvqji5bn7xdxgp6imo3le

http://www.reed.co.uk/job-details/Penicuik/Store-Manager-New-Store/?JobID=18811818&set=7&ns=True&ProfileID=4030&lit=2

http://www.theoriginalfactoryshop.co.uk/

I would imagine this must be the business which is going to move in to the new unit below the flats at 11-15 John Street as I cannot see them going anywhere else. Let us hope that it is successful and might even start to bring people in to the town centre.

Well found, Sam!

And here it is on the jobs section of the company's own site. (It's on the right hand side if you scroll down a bit.)

http://www.theoriginalfactoryshop.co.uk/jobs.aspx

This page is interesting too.

http://www.theoriginalfactoryshop.co.uk/landlords.aspx

Rumour is that the Clydesdale Bank application is intended for Le Tout P'tit to move across the road into bigger premises. How true I don't know. If so there'll still be an empty building but not quite so prominent, which might make a difference and can only improve the look of the place.

RogerRabbit wrote:

Rumour is that the Clydesdale Bank application is intended for Le Tout P'tit to move across the road into bigger premises. How true I don't know.

No, that's pure rumour and not true. It's just the Penicuik rumour mill at its best.

If Sam's right about the identity of the planning permission applicants, you have to wonder what they're playing at.

First they apply to open a curry house right next to Clippers and then they apply to open a bistro bar across the street from le tout p'ti....... Why do they keep putting in planning applications that almost seem contrived to draw objections?

Just checked the council's online planning stuff and the documents are all from the same people for the Clydesdale Bank.
As for Le Tout P'Tit story, why would anyone put in an application under a false name which could result in fraud charges, especially when it is much LESS likely the application would be passed under that name!? I think the guy involved must have too much money to spare as all the applications, plans etc must be costing plenty.

On the positive front, it seems that work has resumed at the petrol station site with portacabins going in today so we might see progress there as well!!!

I found out from another neighbour that The New Yorker is applying to change its licence. It appears they only sent the notice to one house on the street and we only have until friday to object, there isnt even a notice up on display on the door which there should be. By the sounds of things its looking like they more or less want to make it a pub without directly saying that - here we go again!! Think they want hire rooms out for weddings etc.

There was a notice up in the New Yorker about changing license hours but that was on display at the bar before they announced the closure, which happened on Friday night and it was one of the busiest nights I've experienced in there...

Quote :

As for Le Tout P'Tit story, why would anyone put in an application under a false name which could result in fraud charges,

I'd bone up on planning law if I were you. There is no reason why the applicant has to be the person for whom the final consent is intended. Neither is there anything to stop an individual or company lodging an application for premises or land which he does not own.
The rumour may be wrong but it is the same rumour that was circulating in connection with the last planning application for the site. This one is more specific; perhaps in the hope that it will be looked at more sympathetically.

I heard yesterday that Lidl are giving it 3 months and if there is no improvement they will be moving out - has anyone else heard this or is it just Penicuik Chinese whispers in force again?

Re: Lidl. It would not surprise me as the level of business must be well below what they expected to get. I guess that one problem is that anyone from outwith the area who sees the state of the town will hightail it out of the place as quickly as possible thinking they have landed in Niddrie or someplace like that.
If they do close, then it will be costing the centre owners a fortune with the extra costs for the delays plus they then have an empty unit to fill.

it doesnt surprise me either, although I will be pretty annoyed to think that they hacked all those lovely trees down and destroyed my view for a shop that hasnt even been open a year and could/will sit empty for how long??

Amazing to see so much work happening in Penicuik relating to OPENING of new places:

We have the petrol station with work getting on at last, the Indian takeaway next to Tesco which has restarted and lots going on at the new shop unit as it is fitted out for the Original factory Shop.