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02
Jan 2024
Pharmacy closure prompts concerns about future of Jennyfields retail
Jennyfields residents have expressed concerns about the forthcoming closure of the Boots pharmacy in the Co-op.
The Stray Ferret reported last month Boots planned to close 300 UK stores, with those in close proximity to other sites run by the company most at risk.
But the loss of the facility has upset locals — and heightened fears about the future of retail in Jennyfields, where many shops are shut.
The nearest Boots pharmacies will be in Harrogate town centre, Knaresborough Market Place, St James’s Retail Park and Market Place West in Ripon when the one in Jennyfields closes.
Freda Roach, a nearby resident, described the loss of the pharmacy as a “great blow to the local community” and a “retrograde step”, adding:
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Another Jennyfields resident, David Smith, said the move was "ridiculous".
He said:
‘A popular and busy pharmacy’
Councillor Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate on North Yorkshire Council, was also “disappointed” by the news.
He told the Stray Ferret:
Three out of four units are closed at the Jennyfield Drive site.
One Stray Ferret social media follower commented to say the centre used to be a "thriving little area". But three out of four units on the Jennyfield Drive site, as well as the Stone Beck pub, are closed.
The prospect of a new Tesco supermarket a mile away has also fuelled concerns about the future of retail in Jennyfields.
But Cllr Harrison said:
A spokesperson for the Co-op said the use of the space occupied by the pharmacy is "being reviewed" and "no decisions have been taken at this stage".
Twenty UK Boots stores have already closed in line with the new plan - four of which are in Yorkshire.
Boots declined to comment on the Jennyfields closure when approached by the Stray Ferret. But staff at the pharmacy told the Stray Ferret they have been “given options” about employment going forward.
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