A long-running charity shop in Chatham has permanently closed its doors.
The UK's leading vet charity, PDSA, shut its shop in the town's High Street for the final time on Saturday, 22 May. Lloyd Hughes, PDSA’s Head of Retail, said: “Like many retailers, we have been facing extremely tough trading conditions on high streets up and down the country, and we took the difficult decision not to renew our lease. “On behalf of PDSA I would like to thank the staff, volunteers and customers and hope they will continue to support our work of treating sick and injured pets in the future. “Although our shop in Chatham will be closing, this does not affect our veterinary clients in the area, who can still access PDSA’s charitable treatment for their pets as usual.” It is understood that PDSA's Chatham branch first opened in May 2003 and has been very well supported by the local community over the years, with dozens of volunteers helping in the running of the shop. PDSA provides free and low cost veterinary treatment to sick and injured pets belonging to people in need. In September last year, Age UK also closed its charity shop in Chatham High Street. Barclays in Strood permanently shut its doors on Friday, 7 May due to a decline in its use.
The bank said the number of counter transactions at its Strood branch had fallen in the 24 months up to January this year. It also found that 89% of its customers already used other ways to do their banking such as online and by telephone - with only 67 customers regularly using the branch. In a report Barclays said: "Our branch network and the colleagues who work in them remain a vital part of what we offer our customers. "Yet with customers visiting our branches less and less each year, we must constantly assess how and why our branches are used and make decisions based on that insight. "There will be times when this means that we will make the difficult decision to close a branch. "We understand the concerns about the closure – and we’d like to reassure everyone that, before deciding to close, we looked very carefully at how the branch is used." The nearest alternative Barclays is in Chatham High Street. Customers can also complete everyday banking at Strood Post Office or with the free-to-use cash machines at Nationwide, Aldi and NatWest. Strood's latest bank closure comes just two years after Halifax left the town in 2019. Work to transform part of Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre in Gillingham is now underway. The scheme, which will be completed by the end of September this year, will see the former Argos redeveloped into mixed use units for retail, leisure and community purposes. Vacant space above the underground car park will become a 12,000 sq ft leisure facility with 24-hour access, which may see a national gym operator move into. A new modern entrance to the shopping centre will also be created incorporating a living wall with updated cladding, high-quality paving surfaces and landscaping. New electric car charging points will be introduced for customers outside the underground car park, while 10 cycle parking spaces will be created.
A spokesperson for Hempstead Valley said: "This is a significant investment for the future of Hempstead Valley which will strengthen the Centre as a destination of choice for customers and retailers." The latest phase of redevelopment comes just months after Santander announced that its branch at Hempstead Valley will permanently close on 24 June this year. Opened in 1978, Hempstead Valley was one of the first out-of-town shopping centres in Kent, inspired by similar complexes of the time in North America. It was extended in 1992 with the addition of a new mall and its flagship M&S store. The Venue restaurant development was built in 2015 to replace the former indoor food court which later became a large TKMaxx in 2016. This also included the remodelling of the Red car park, public realm improvements and new bus stops. The UK's fastest growing beauty retailer is the latest tenant to join Dockside Outlet Centre in Chatham.
Beauty Outlet will welcome customers to its new Chatham branch for the first time in late June this year. The shop will sell products from the biggest beauty brands at discount prices, including Rimmel London, Elizabeth Arden, Max Factor and Revlon. Up to 25 new jobs will be created at the discount beauty store with applications still open to potential candidates. Applicants can send their CV and covering letter to [email protected]. |
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