TRADERS in the Forest Shopping centre could quit the town if intimidation, vandalism and violence continue Ð centre managers have warned this week .
Increased vandalism and intimidation has been on the up all year and managers have said that local traders have said that enough is enough.
The stark warning came when Tim Pike from Hillwoolhouse, which manages the centre on behalf of its owners, contacted The Herald and community leaders in a bid to tackle the problems.
And it coincides with a call from shopkeepers for the centreÕs new owners to financially invest in its future.
The leases for all 22 of the centreÕs units are up for renewal in six years time and The Herald understands that only a handful of the existing traders currently intend to renew them.
Mr Pike said that the future of the centre was at stake as traders, who are bracing themselves for a potential 35 per cent drop-off in trade once Tesco opens, are re-evaluating their future at the Bordon shopping centre.
ÒWe face three main problems at the centre,Ó Mr Pike explained.
ÒThe first problem is increased instances of vandalism, then you have the intimidation of our shoppers Ð especially in the evenings Ð and now we also have a problem of violent incidents at the centre throughout the later part of this year, some of which even took part during the middle of the day.
ÒWe have absolutely no reason to doubt the fact that these problems are caused by the community Ð your community. It is not a problem caused by the traders themselves.Ó
Measures have already been taken to try and tackle the problems at the centre in Pinehill Road but incidents continue to escalate.
Mr Pike explained: ÒWe do employ a security guard but he cannot take on a group of five or six people.
ÒWe feel that we need to tell the community how we and the traders feel, and that it could soon reach a certain point where traders may not decide that it is worth them staying.
ÒWe are looking at ways of trying to tackle these problems and we hope that by highlighting them we will have positive feedback.Ó
Problems which plague the Bordon centre include persistent vandalism to shop windows, benches and other equipment as well as the toilets which are often closed as a result.
Evening shoppers at Somerfield have also complained of feeling intimidated by the groups of youths who often congregate in the centre.
Police officers at Whitehill have been informed of the situation but Mr Pike said that it was not up the police to solve the problem Ð it was up to the residents of Bordon and Whitehill.
ÒWe are trying to address these problems by writing to your MP, by contacting East Hampshire District Council and by contacting Whitehill Town Council,Ó he said.
ÒAll of these sorts of people have a responsibility to the community because if the situation does not change traders may decide to give up.
ÒTraders are already worried that their trade will be effected if we have another year with these problems and that will be made even worse by the opening of Tesco.
ÒWe have put a lot of effort into this and I am not too sure what else we can do Ð the traders are looking for help.
ÒThis is a facility for your community and it is up the community to put an end to these problems.Ó
Businessman Tony Keats told The Herald that he had witnessed incidents of violence and intimidation and several weeks ago came to the aid of an elderly woman who had been pushed over by a group of youths.
He also pointed out that the centre has an annual budget of £100,000 Ð a quarter of which was spent on repairing shop windows and other furniture which had been vandalised.
ÒThat is 25 per cent of the budget and could have been spent on a landscaping scheme, or new Christmas lights or something else to improve the appearance of the place,Ó he said.
Mr Keats also told The Herald that the shopkeepers contribute towards the budget which means that every time something needs replacing it is costing them money.
But the Keateck businessman also threw down the gauntlet to the centreÕs owners Broadmeadow Ltd, which bought the centre in February, to invest money in the Bordon shopping centre before it dies.
ÒThey need to put pressure on Threshers to sell off the unit which has stood empty for five or six years,Ó Mr Keats said.
ÒThey also need to put some real investment into the centre because when Tesco does open we will loose a significant amount of trade, there is no denying that.Ó
He called for Broadmeadow to look after its existing tenants as well as search for a new tenant by developing the remaining empty land between Lidl and Bordon Library.
ÒWe need what we call phase three of the centre to be developed so that we can exert pressure and compete for trade and perhaps answer some of our critics,Ó he said.
ÒWithout all of the independent traders, the Forest Centre will just become an empty shell.Ó