North west furniture retailer faces battle to find new home

18th February | independent | An independent furniture retailer in St Annes is at loggerheads with the local council as it bids to move to a new home. Paul James Furniture has just a few weeks left on its lease and is currently holding a closing down sale.

However, the retailer wants to move to another out of town location and has pinpointed a site that was formerly a garage, but town planners are insisting the store moves into the town centre or a designated shopping district, where rents and rates are higher.

Store boss Peter Burgeen criticised the local authorities, saying they seem to prefer the idea of a building being boarded up and empty, rather than helping a business find a viable location. For its part the council says it is policy to encourage retailers to move either into town centres or established shopping centres.

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