WEY Hill shoppers voiced dismay after two more businesses announced they would be leaving the road this week. Traditional ironmonger Ralph Coombes and Lloyds Bank are both closing down. It is the latest setback for Wey Hill, where empty shop fronts are becoming a common sight. Both businesses are shutting up shop amid news of the falling numbers of shoppers in Wey Hill and claims that the road needs cleaning up. There are already six empty shops in the road, which has struggled to attract customers since the opening of the Tesco supermarket. In a letter sent out this week, customers of Lloyds Bank were told that the branch would be closing on July 7. Kevin Hall of Kings Road in Haslemere is furious that the businesses have made the decision to pull out of the street. He said: "I'm disgusted by the news that Lloyds in Wey Hill will be closing down. "It's bad news for everyone, especially OAPs who can't easily get to other banks. "The branch was only refurbished 18 months ago. Surely that is just a waste of the customers' money." However, a spokesman for Lloyds claimed it was no longer feasible to keep the branch open. He said: "The number of customers who use the branch has been in decline for several years and we can no longer justify having the two members of staff there. "It is a very small bank which already has reduced opening hours, and there are three other Lloyds branches within five miles. "Haslemere is becoming a commuter town, with the majority of people spending their day out of the area. "It is a regrettable decision but we have tried to cause as little impact as possible to our customers by giving them six weeks' notice." However Mr Hall believes there is enough business to keep the bank going. He added: "Whenever I visit the bank there are queues of people waiting to be served. "Towns are being turned into ghost towns across the country, and Wey Hill is going the same way." The loss of ironmonger Ralph Coombes is another huge blow to Wey Hill shoppers. Coombes is one of the best-known shops in the area and has been open in the road for 50 years. However the emergence of bigger out-of- town DIY shops and a decline in the number of shoppers in Wey Hill has led to the announcement it will close. Customer Robert Macqueen, who has been using Coombes for many years, said he was surprised at the news. He said: It's quite a big shock to masses of people. It is the best ironmonger in the area. "It's a very traditional shop and a lot of people admire it and I'm very unhappy that it is going." Mr Macqueen said he believed there was more than one reason behind the decision to close the ironmonger. He added: "Tescos haven't helped and we need to get rid of the traffic lights at the top of the road. "We need to work together to stem the decline of Wey Hill." He is also hoping Coombes can be saved if Haslemere shoppers can raise enough money for the lease. He explained: "I'm willing to put money up and if others would also be willing to do so we might be able to afford to pay the rent for the next year." Ralph Coombes manager Tim Driscoll backed plans to keep the shop going, but added it was still early days. He said: "It's a good idea and it's up to the owners now. We're looking at the details of sorting it out. "There's also the possibility of moving to a smaller shop on the hill, but I don't know what's going to happen as yet. "Lots of people have said how sad they are that we are going, so it would be great if we could keep it on." The president of Haslemere and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Arya Ingvorsen, told The Herald she was hopeful that progress could be made to spruce up Wey Hill. She said: "We are awaiting feedback from the shops in Wey Hill and are going out this week to speak to shopkeepers about what they want to do next. "As a result of an article in The Herald there has been interest in some of the vacant shops in Wey Hill, which is great news." However a resident in the area, who wanted to remain anonymous, claimed the problems in Wey Hill ran deeper than just empty shops. In a letter to The Herald he said: "Damage to cars, damage to property and abuse of residents are only some of the problems that currently face the large number of those who live and work in the Wey Hill area."
