Published: Wednesday, 5th March, 2008 10:00am

Hope for local traders

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UNCERTAINTY surrounds the future of town centre shopping in Galashiels after a number of stores reached the end of the line and shut up shop within days of each other last month.

But, despite a trail of job losses and empty shops, local traders are confident an announcement today (Wednesday) signalling the return of the railway to the Borders is back on track, will reverse the slump.

And, it is hoped that more new businesses will move into the area.

Long-established sports shop Intersport in the town"s Market Street, Stead & Simpson the shoe shop in Channel Street, and even local charity shop Oxfam are among the well-known names to have closed or announced their intentions to close in the past few days.

However, speculation is mounting that several multi-national companies such as Pizza Hut, pub chain TGI Friday and an unnamed hotel group are reportedly looking to take over some of the empty stores.

Galashiels Chamber of Trade co-chairman Philip Macari told the Border Telegraph: 'There is uncertainty in the town.

'But there are businesses actively looking to come into Galashiels and I think the announcement about the railway will get the area back on track.

'At the moment there are about a dozen empty shops in the town but like it or not we are going into a recession.

'The trouble with Gala is it is all retail-orientated. There is no industry in the town just now.

'There are always shops opening and closing. They"re just hitting a bad patch and there has been so many gone at once.

'I worry about places like Melrose and Selkirk because they don"t have a big ASDA or Tesco to draw customers into their towns and when they opened we were busy.'

Local traders are conducting a survey to investigate changing shopping patterns following the opening of Asda and Tesco"s new 24-hour superstores in Galashiels amid fears they are taking business away from smaller independent shops.

And local MP Michael Moore met with the chief executive of Scottish Borders Council on Monday to discuss what was being done to help high streets in town"s throughout the Borders.

But Mr Macari added: 'I don"t think the future of shopping in Galashiels is as gloomy as everyone makes out – not when I hear about all the people who are thinking of moving here.

'It may be they have just been holding off for the announcement on the railway this week.'