Rail forces pull out
Published 30 Sep 2011 09:30
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LOCAL furniture and homeware firm Castle Warehouse has blamed the Borders rail link for its decision to close its Galashiels store.
In a statement released this week the company, which has been trading since the 1980s, claimed it had no choice but to close its Langhaugh Industrial Estate premises because advance works for the new railway had made their location untenable.
Other businesses on the industrial estate have already left the site voluntarily or moved on as a result of compulsory purchase orders, meaning Castle Warehouse was the only business left. The ensuing drop in visitors to the estate has led Castle Warehouse to decide to close the store in November.
One of the company's directors, Robert Finlayson, told the Border Telegraph: "With the disruption to the location we saw a huge drop in footfall and with the next phase of advance rail works being the demolition of surrounding empty properties, we have been forced to finally conclude that continued trading from this site would be impossible.
"Despite an economic downturn our other branches have been able to trade strongly so we have been actively seeking alternative premises but to date we have been unable to find anywhere suitable."
The firm's three other stores, in Peebles and Penicuik, will continue to trade as normal.
However, the Galashiels closure will lead to job losses. Mr Finlayson said: "Sadly with the closure of this branch, job losses are inevitable but we are looking closely at alternative positions for some of the five staff affected.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Galashiels customers over years and assure them that we are still committed to serve all of the Borders region from our remaining branches."
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hazelkaye
224 posts
Oct 1, 17:24
Report commentBoth Peebles and Penicuik should have THEIR railways reinstated too!
Recommend?
Yes 38
No 2
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Dereks
Unregistered User
Oct 2, 18:56
Report commentOf course, it's had nothing to do with the inflated prices they were charging.
Recommend? Yes 11
No 3
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craigsdonald
Unregistered User
Oct 4, 11:11
Report commentNothing to do with Tesco and Asda opening in town. They also sell furniture and homewares. They are also guilty of killing business in towns all over the country as we strive to buy cheap all the time instaed of quality and personal service
Recommend? Yes 3
No 5
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******
Oct 5, 20:27
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hazelkaye
224 posts
Oct 10, 10:24
Report commentIndeed, all rail forces HAVE pulled out as there was only one tender to build pending!
It now reverts to the hands (clutches) of Transport Scotland to progress, through Network Rail!
However, as Transport Scotland is only interested in improving end-to-end journeys times with little interest in, nor giving any due and worthy consideration to possible and indeed necessary new stations to serve intermediate communities (using the EGIP scheme as my benchmark) it will be interesting to see how this scheme progresses under its deliverance!
Recommend? Yes 26
No 0
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jimtor
6 posts
Jan 18, 20:32
Report commentNothing to do with the fact that they moved out of the town to the industrial estate premises and then sold off the shop to a company that sells some goods that Castle sold??? I suppose the coming of the railway is an convenient excuse for them to use
Recommend? Yes 0
No 0
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