Confusion reigns over who owns vacant Woolies

THE future of Stoke-on-Trent's former Woolworths stores is still in doubt three months after they shut – because no-one knows who owns them.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is currently carrying out urgent land registry searches to try to determine who is responsible for four void shops around the city.

The stores in Hanley, Stoke, Longton and Burslem were all closed in late December or early January following the High Street retail giant's sudden collapse.

Administrator Deloitte shut all 807 Woolworths stores in the UK, with the loss of 27,000 jobs, after failing to find a buyer for the retailer.

Since then, some of the chain's outlets have been sold off to big-name firms such as frozen food retailer Iceland.

But none of the city stores were included in the deal, and their future remains as uncertain now as it was in December.

Longton Chamber of Trade vice-chairman Richard Cresswell, pictured, said residents and traders in the town are anxious to see something done with the Market Street outlet.

He said: "The loss of Woolworths has certainly dampened things down in that part of the town. I have had people stopping me in the street to ask what is going on with the store.

"We really need to get something done soon because we are trying to regenerate Longton and having empty shops doesn't help."

Newly-appointed Stoke town regeneration manager, Kevin Bell, also has concerns about the former Woolworths store in London Road.

He said the council is taking steps to determine the ownership of the site as part of its efforts to revitalise the town centre.

The empty store is of particular concern because of its prominent location in the main shopping street and the fact that it backs on to the market area in South Wolfe Street, just yards from the council's new £3 million library and resource centre.

Mr Bell said: "We are running a land registry search to find out who owns Woolworths and what their intentions are so we can plan what to do with that part of the town. It isn't helpful to have such a prominent store lying empty."

The city council said it is also unsure of the current ownership of the outlets in Market Square, Hanley, and St John's Square, Burslem, as they may have been sold on separately by the administrators and could even have changed hands again.

Richard Day, chairman of Hanley's chamber of trade, said he was surprised there was still uncertainty about the ownership of the stores. And he said it is vital the future of the properties is confirmed so talks can take place about what will happen to them.

He said: "It is important these stores are re-let as soon as possible because they create a hole in the towns and city centre.

"If the council can find out who owns them than at least a dialogue can take place on how they can dress up the windows and make the shops look a bit more attractive than they do now."

The ownership of Newcastle's Woolworths store, in High Street, has been confirmed and the borough council is in touch with the owner's agent about the site.