Shopping centre entrance closure 'has killed trade'

Cafe boss Kevin Murray said the work had already started before he was formally notified

Business owners in Derby have said the closure of an entrance to the Derbion shopping centre has dramatically reduced footfall.

Centre bosses said the closure of the Albion Street entrance was necessary to prepare the area for the relocation of the Primark store from Cornmarket ahead of its opening in 2027.

However Kevin Murray, who runs the Olive Tree Cafe close by, said he was only told about the closure after the work had already started.

Derbion has apologised to traders for the disruption.

The entrance to Derbion on Albion Street is now closed

Mr Murray said he had a phone call from a member of Derbion two days after the entrance closed telling him it would be for a "minimum of 18 months".

He urged people to continue to use shops along Albion Street in order to help businesses.

"There is nobody here," he said. "We're struggling, all the businesses on here are struggling.

"We got no warning at all. There should have been some correspondence... it's an absolute disgrace how [Derbion] has gone about it.

"Albion Street has gone from being one of the busiest parts of the city centre to being one of the quietest.

"We'll have to make some major changes to the way we operate... I can't say how because we've been hit that quickly I really don't know what we're going to do."

Thomas Mathews (left) and Sam Stone said the timing could not have been worse

Sam Stone, who runs Critical Hit, a pop-culture collectable store, also said there was initially no notice Derbion would be closing off the entrance.

He told the BBC the timing of the closure was "awful" with the run-up to Christmas being their busiest time of the year.

"It's affected business massively, for everyone on this high street, footfall is down," he said.

"The entrance to the Derbion is a massive walkway for people coming from the bus station, council building, Market Hall and with it closing, it takes that footfall away.

"We notice it financially but by just having a look outside our doors, there was always people walking up and down, now there is nobody here.

"If they need to do the work, fair enough but it could have been planned better."

'Killing businesses'

Sahil Khmer, 30, who works at Mobile Tech, estimated business had dropped by 80% since the closure was put in place.

He said his shop had ordered extra stock in time for Christmas but he fears they will not sell it.

"We mainly depend on the footfall [for business] people come by here for phone accessories," he said.

"But due to the fall in people walking past, I'd say we've got about 20% left of what we had before so it's affecting us very badly - it's terrible.

"They didn't give us any notice, there was no information - this is killing all the businesses, not just our shop."

Beth McDonald, managing director of Derbion, said: "We understand that some retailers and shoppers will be impacted by the closure of the entrance to Derbion on Albion Street, and we apologise for any disruption caused.

"While the temporary closure is inconvenient, it is a necessary step to safely prepare for the arrival of Primark.

"While the work is under way, the next closest entrance to the centre is on East Street, which remains open as usual.

"We will continue to work with Derby City Council and the local BIDs [business improvement districts] to keep shoppers and the community updated as the work progresses."

Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield said she recognised "significant concerns" business owners had but due to not owning the units, there was "little we can do" on tenants' rents.

"We would encourage those affected to speak with their individual landlords and Derbion to discuss the impact and potential solutions," she added.