Another empty shop in Penicuik

Babu G has now closed down and going to "open under new management" as Cafe Marmaris. Good to see the council giving town centres so much support as they begin work on Nandos at Straiton!

peebles is a chairty shops this days

sybil wrote:

peebles is a chairty shops this days

Cobblers!
There are precisely three - plus some sort of information/ drop in centre for "Sense."

On the same street, however, including banks, pubs and hotels, there are at least 50 other businesses still trading. (Fish monger, iron monger, jeweller, gift shop, clothes shops...... ) And there are others down that wee vennel bit and yet more down Northgate.... I noticed just one empty shop: Veitch's has called it a day.

More closures to add to the list of empty shops: Carnethy Electrical now shut after retirement and Paws for Pets closed their shop in Bank Street. I see that Nickel n Dime is now getting cleared out and the St Margaret's Hospice shop is having a closing down sale so very little positive to be seen in Penicuik unfortunately.

I see that work has now started at Straiton on the Nandos site (beside Frankie and Bennys) and at the old Callyr Inn site for the KFC / Pizza Hut outlets. Should be a real boost to Penicuik!!! Good old Midlothian Council - supporting town centres (just not ours).

Well, there is something maybe happening to improve Penicuik's centre....... or so some well meaning people seem to believe. They've come up with a tried and tested and, in some places at least, perfectly workable scheme called BID or BIDS or something.

All the existing businesses on the High St, John St and Bridge St have been sent brochures outlining, what seems to me at least, a very radical idea. This radical idea (I kid you not!) involves asking existing, cash-strapped and struggling businesses to agree to an increase in their rates to fund..... to fund..... well. to fund something. I only read it through quickly.

I've spoken to three local business people who expressed their lack of enthusiasm in an unquotable stream of four-letter invective, and who planned to transfer the brochure to the recycling bin immediately. A fourth, however, who is also lacking in enthusiasm for this idea of agreeing to additional costs, reckons that if the majority bin the brochure unread, but just one person agrees, then the whole thing goes ahead anyway; business rates increase at least a little for all business in the "catchment" area for the next five years.

Making it even just a little more expensive to operate in Penicuik's town centre seems an odd way to try attract more people to start up business there....... But what do I know....

Thanks for that update Rubbereye. From previous experience, when traders in the town were asked to attend meetings and do something to help trade in Penicuik, it was very difficult to even get anyone to go along, never mind actually do something or contribute money. Many of them wanted something done.....as long as they did not have to do it.
Will be interesting to see how things work out this time.

Some positive news on shops as The Original Factory Shop celebrates 5 years since opening and Motavation have their 30th anniversary. Makes a nice change since some places would be lucky to reach their 30 day anniversary!

And now even the charity shops seems to be giving-up on Penicuik's wonderful town centre!

British Heart Foundation is shutting down. There's a "clearance sale" on at that St Margaret's Hospice Shop - and I can't help wondering if "clearance" might be a euphemism for "closing down." The  SNP place is also packing up.

So there you have it. Penicuik has slipped so far beyond redemption that even "pound shops" and charities now shy away from it.

However......

Has anyone heard anything about a film studio getting built at Straiton? (Not a cinema for watching films in, but a studio for making them in.)
I was also told that the Wellington School buildings have been taken over by some film company. Truth or rumour?

Oh aye...... And once a month, starting soon, there's to be a market in the precinct.

ah haerd it was loanhead for the fillm place

I wouldn't be surprised if permission is given to build the film studios. However, I don't think the residents at Damhead in particular will be very happy with that decision.

rubbereye wrote:

Well, there is something maybe happening to improve Penicuik's centre....... or so some well meaning people seem to believe. They've come up with a tried and tested and, in some places at least, perfectly workable scheme called BID or BIDS or something.

All the existing businesses on the High St, John St and Bridge St have been sent brochures outlining, what seems to me at least, a very radical idea. This radical idea (I kid you not!) involves asking existing, cash-strapped and struggling businesses to agree to an increase in their rates to fund..... to fund..... well. to fund something. I only read it through quickly.

I've spoken to three local business people who expressed their lack of enthusiasm in an unquotable stream of four-letter invective, and who planned to transfer the brochure to the recycling bin immediately. A fourth, however, who is also lacking in enthusiasm for this idea of agreeing to additional costs, reckons that if the majority bin the brochure unread, but just one person agrees, then the whole thing goes ahead anyway; business rates increase at least a little for all business in the "catchment" area for the next five years.

Making it even just a little more expensive to operate in Penicuik's town centre seems an odd way to try attract more people to start up business there....... But what do I know....

It's going ahead....... because only about two-thirds of those eligible to vote binned the brochure.

http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/news/article/1662/ballot_result_for_penicuik_business_improvement_district

Hardly what you could call an "overwhelming mandate" for the project so will be interesting to see how / if it works out. Of course, with the imminent opening of the "Empire Takeaway" in the High Street, we can expect massive crowds in the town centre and greatly increased sales for all businesses!

More closures in Penicuik recently - Saltouns letting agents have shut their office in Lamb's Pend and moved operation to their office in Edinburgh, Classic Carpets (opposite Tesco) seem to have shut down, the Peni-wok in High Street has closed and the motorcycle equipment place on Windsor Drive has also gone.
On the positive side, Carnethy Electrical has re-opened under new ownership and there seems to be some work going on in the former Ingmans shop in the precinct (next to Headcases)

This looks encouraging http://www.penicuikcuckoo.co.uk/2016/02/17889/

Seems that the St Margaret's Hospice shop has gone again as the former Shoes by Shuffles unit is empty once more and Luscious beauty place is closing at the end of June too!. Even charity shops are going!
I also see that the old Clydesdale Bank is up for sale / let with a different agent now so something might happen there one day, The Clock bistro in the old Peni Deli is nearing completion but all the other empty units are still the same with no updates on the Original Factory Shop either. Will we get some positive news one day???

More bad news!

http://www.penicuikcuckoo.co.uk/2016/07/troubled-store-21-to-close-penicuik-store/

Hurry and get down to Penicuik SHOP CENTRE before the "closing down" sale is finished!

Wow! Work going on in the former Chen's Kitchen at Kentigern Mall (used to be the newsagents) so what is it going to be? Charity shop, hairdresser or a takeaway?

Great news for Pennycook - the takeaway town!

http://www.penicuikcuckoo.co.uk/2017/03/takeaway-chain-eyes-up-penicuik/

Another closure as the Howgate Restaurant has now shut down

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1068914-d1318120-Reviews-The_Howgate_Restaurant-Penicuik_Midlothian_Scotland.html

Less eyesores in the town centre with Haig's Bar & Restaurant open (former Railway pub) and now work has started in the old Clydesdale Bank too. Just need someone to demolish the former BNC Autoparts in the Square and do something to improve the appearance of numbers 6-8 High Street and The Storehouse. We can but dream.....

Wow - three less eyesores in the town centre soon as work is ongoing at 6-8 High Street, 28 High Street (former Clydesdale bank / Energy Advice Centre) and work has finally started on Dominos Pizzas in St Kentigern Mall.
If only they would do something in the Square!

No sooner do empty units start to fill up in the town centre, with only the former Jean's cafe left in the precinct, then we get this bad news that the Royal Bank is to close next year!

https://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/news/business/midlothian-rbs-branches-targeted-for-closure-1-4628400

Hope they ban their TV adverts saying they are "the Royal Bank FOR Scotland" as that is the biggest lie since the "£350 million a week for the NHS" story!

Sign in the window of RBS states that the branch will be closing in June 2018.....but we look forward to seeing customers at our BRUNTSFIELD branch!!!

its a long walk tae brunstfiled if ye dinnae drive