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Times OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
PHOTO: Craig Matthews
Wednesday February 20 | 2019
‘It would have a catastrophic effect on the viability of continuing to trade’ Hoopers’ MD Debra Angus
Flagship department store faces closure if it loses car park battle By Richard Williams newdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk HOOPERS will tomorrow [Thursday] present its case to the Calverley Square inquiry over future access rights to its car park, which it suggests could result in the closure of the department store. The retailer claims that the council’s plans may well bring to an end nearly a hundred years of a store trading at the bottom of Mount Pleasant Road.
The council has applied for a compulsory purchase order [CPO] that will grant them the right to drive through the store’s customer car park, allowing them to service Calverley Square, their new £90million theatre and civic complex. Hoopers, who bought the site from Weeks in 1990, a department store that had been trading in the location since the 1920s, say the council’s plans creates an ‘existential threat’ to the business, risking 170 jobs. Managing Director, Debra Angus, is
to tell the CPO inquiry at the Mercure Hotel on Thursday that if the Borough Council are granted rights to its car park, the department store would be ‘compelled to close the car park to customers.’ In her submission to the Planning Inspectorate’s Graham Dudley, Ms Angus stated: “If this occurred, it would have a catastrophic effect on the viability of continuing to trade at this location, and a knock-on impact on the group.” Hoopers will present a report by Lee
Stampton of Health and Safety South East, which states: “Frankly, I am at a loss as how we can conduct a risk assessment on the likely new vehicle movements arising from the CPO rights and come out with the risk as being acceptable.” Hoopers, which also has stores in Harrogate, Torquay and Wilmslow, employs nearly 500 people, more than a third of
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