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13
Dec
Jennyfields residents pessimistic for shopping centre after Tesco opening
Skipton Road was bustling with traffic on Tuesday (December 9) when Harrogate’s first-ever Tesco superstore opened. The car park was completely full at midday.
But, less than a mile away, the car park outside the Jennyfield local centre was considerably quieter.
The Jennyfield local centre is the small block of shops on Jenny Field Drive.
Its main tenant is the Co-op, which includes a post office. There is also a beauty salon and a Saint Michael’s Hospice charity shop in two of the block’s other units.
The local centre was originally built to provide local shopping for residents of the Jennyfield area, which had been underserved before Tesco’s opening.
But now, some residents fear for the future of the centre.
The Co-op has been there from the start but the smaller units have seen plenty of businesses come and go.
Boots shut its small pharmacy space inside the Co-op in January last year. The Stray Ferret has also heard reports that the post office is not always open.
So, what do some residents think about the future of the local centre?
‘The Co-op will be massively impacted’
One Jennyfield resident, who preferred not to be named, voiced her concerns about the future of the local centre.
She said that Tesco’s prices would drive competition away from the Co-op:
I think the Co-op will be massively impacted because of lower prices. I'm hoping the Co-op will continue to thrive as it's a great spot for the older people around Jennyfields, but I do think it will be impacted with Tesco being so close. Ultimately, if the Co-op goes so will the post office, as Tesco has no obligation to put one in.
Tesco superstore on Harrogate's Skipton Road
Tesco is ‘wonderful’ for mobility scooter users
Jennyfield rresident Dorothy Hawkins said that, although she thinks the Co-op will not lose customers, Tesco provides her with better accessibility.
Ms Hawkins is a mobility scooter user and says that there are plenty of others in the area who will benefit from the Tesco.
She said:
The Co-op is quite good but with limited choice. I think people, especially at the top end near there, will still use them in the same way they do now.
When you’re a mobility scooter driver, often smaller shops are inaccessible: steps to get in, narrower aisles often with boxes of stuff stuck on ends, and difficulties accessing payment aisles. For people like us to have access to a supermarket that just about sells everything, with wide aisles, plenty of choices, etc, is wonderful.
Although she did not seem concerned about the future of the Co-op, she said the Number One Shop on Electric Avenue ‘may be hit’, although she hoped that people would want to drop in for their papers, lottery tickets, and the odd pint of milk.
‘A huge impact on the Co-op… but the store looks great’
Another Jennyfield resident, who preferred not to be named, said that the new-look Tesco will do well at the expense of others.
She said:
I think it will have a huge impact on Aldi and co-op. It's a smart store with loads on offer. I really hope the co-op and Aldi don't suffer too much. Although the build and description have nearly destroyed the Number One Shop at the bottom of Electric Avenue. But I'll be honest, the store looks great!
‘Co-op won’t stand the test of time’
Twenty-year Jennyfield resident Nicola Crebbin told the Stray Ferret that she was worried for the longevity of the Co-op following Tesco’s opening.
She said:
I think the Co-op won't last the test of time, unfortunately. It can't, the prices are too high in comparison to Tesco (club card prices). It was, and still is, convenient as a 'corner shop', but it's too big just to be a corner shop, yet too small and pricey to compete with Tesco. The Post office has recently been closed quite a bit anyway, that will be the biggest loss to the community if Co-op were to go.
The centre definitely needs a corner shop, post office, pharmacy (which I believe is coming), and perhaps a hairdresser's. The pub has a reputation that's hard to shift and has never really done well as a result.
From speaking to members of the public, it appears the consensus is that the future isn't bright for the Jennyfields local centre.
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