Disappointment for shoppers

SHOPPERS and traders in Portishead have been dealt a blow after plans for a new department store in the town were shelved.

Residents were thrilled when Mackays purchased Worthingtons store in the centre of Portishead High Street with plans to bring a three storey department store to the town centre.

An original planning application to demolish the existing premises and replace it with a new state-of-the-art building was rejected by North Somerset Council so the company had to have a rethink.

The company's new plans involve keeping the front of the building the same but making the store three storeys high with showrooms for ladies, men's and children's fashions, home ware and a coffee shop.

Staff members have now been told the refurbishment has been postponed for at least a year, much to the disappointment of shoppers in the town.

Doris Jones, a pensioner and regular shopper at Mackays said: It's so disappointing. I was really looking forward to a new larger shop with plenty of variety.

Portishead doesn't exactly have lots of different shops to choose from, so a nice department store was something I was looking forward to."

Wendy Smart, a retired Portishead retailer, said: I was pleased for the other traders in the High Street when I heard we were going to have a new, three storey department store.

I thought it would encourage more people to shop in Portishead, in particular the High Street area. Now however, I'm worried a year's delay will have an adverse affect as the range of clothing in the store has increased but the home ware stock seems to be declining.

If they are not going to increase the floor space now, I can't see how they are going to provide shoppers with more choice."

A spokesperson for Mackays said: I can confirm that our plans for the Portishead

store have certainly not been cancelled, but have been postponed at the present

time."