Another business has closed in the city’s shopping center and “change is needed to reverse the pattern of closures”, says a senior councillor.
Iris Hair and Beauty salon has closed after the owners of the Royal Star Arcade in Maidstone engaged bailiffs to recover their rent.
He locked the door, leaving most of the company’s supplies and equipment inside.
The property, with a floor area of ​​970 sq ft, is now being advertised for rent on the PropertyLink website at a rent of £35,000 per annum.
The latest closure comes shortly after traders, including Richy Williams, who runs Pad Thai and The Beach Bar in the Royal Star Arcade, were feeling more positive.
Richy told us last month that business is booming and new deals are on the horizon.
But with the number of vacant units at Royal Star now at 12 out of 28, and empty shops at The Mall nearby, it appears nothing has changed for downtown retail yet.
This is despite the successful opening of B&M in The Mall at the start of the month, in the unit previously occupied by Wilk’s, which attracted large crowds on its first day.
Cllr Stephen Thompson (Green) is Cabinet Member for Healthier Stronger Communities on the newly formed Maidstone Council.
He said: “Change is certainly needed to reverse the pattern of the last three years of closures and turnover of new businesses in our town centre.
“We (the council) think the best way forward for Maidstone is to develop an overarching strategy which favors local shops over chains and the like, and which maximizes the benefits of a mixed and diverse High Street.
“I was invited to cut the ribbon to ‘open’ the Bisi Beauty store in the Royal Star Arcade last year.
“Small businesses like this thrive on local networks and referrals and we will do all we can to encourage more of that.
“But the departure of big stores (such as Next and M&S) to the Junction 8 shopping area has reduced the incentive to visit Week Street and The Mall.
“This underlines the importance of a holistic local plan that looks after the enrichment of both the countryside and town centres.”
Cllr Thompson added: “My planning colleague, Cllr Tony Harwood (Lib Dem), is already working on changes to local planning rules to deal with the bleeding of big name stores into out-of-town locations and reverse the trend of retail becoming converted to residential high density blocks.
“Then there is the even greater challenge of ensuring that more food and other products are sourced locally to make our communities more sustainable and resilient as the climate crisis disrupts our food supply.”
New arrivals are expected at The Mall in the near future.
A spokesperson for The Mall said: “We have recently introduced a range of exciting new brands to The Mall including Bodycare, B&M, The Real Eating Company, Rey Mia and independent womenswear Ginala.
“We have worked hard to make The Mall as attractive as possible to our guests and retailers and this work has really made a difference.
“While we currently have seven vacant units, we have agreed terms for two more retail stores that will open in June and are close to agreement on two more that will open later this summer.”
Royal Star Arcade management did not respond to a request for comment.