Making tracks

GETTING out . . . Simon Taylor, owner of Mountainfeet, Oldham, is moving the business out of the borough

Shop owner quits town over tram disruption
AN established Oldham businessman who is moving out of the borough after 36 years has called for the council to help existing independent traders.

Specialist footwear and hiking shop Mountainfeet will move out of its current base at the junction of Union Street and Yorkshire Street on January 31, 2012.

Owner Simon Taylor is set to sign a lease on new premises outside of the borough and cites disruption caused by Metrolink as a key reason why the move is taking place.

He is now calling on Oldham Council to provide more help and assistance to other independent traders as the work continues.

Mr Taylor, who bought the business in 2001, said: “We are relocating to a new place not too far away but it is outside of the borough.

“We don’t want to reveal where yet because the deal is just being finalised and we have yet to sign the lease.

“It’s no secret that we haven’t been able to manage the disruption in the town caused by Metrolink.

“Our turnover has dropped by 30 per cent since May which coincides with when the Metrolink work began and we are not getting the footfall either.

“People have also commented that they do find the disruption off-putting.

“We have put up with the new infrastructure in this part of town but it has proved too much. Where we are moving to will be simple for our customers to get to and has no parking restrictions.”

Mr Taylor said Mountainfeet, which employs five staff, is succeeding and surviving despite difficult trading conditions for all businesses.

However, the business owner said more should be done by Oldham Council to help remaining independent firms during work to bring trams to Oldham in spring, next year, and to the town centre by 2014.

He added that council initiatives to help traders are too little, too late for him.

Mr Taylor said: “If I’d have known about the council initiatives six months ago, I might be staying.

“I hope our move will prompt the council to invest money, time and effort into assisting the businesses that remain.”

Oldham Council recently introduced measures such as free parking at weekends to boost trade in the town centre.

Councillor Dave Hibbert said: “I’m very sorry to hear that a firm as well-established as this has decided to leave the borough. Only yesterday I was speaking to council leader Jim McMahon about ways of helping people while the disruption is happening.

“Unfortunately, if we want Metrolink, we can’t have it without a level of disruption. I’ve instructed officers within the regeneration department to find a way to ease the disruption during the Christmas and New Year period.

“We always listen to people’s concerns and I’ve always been supportive of small traders.”