Questions about the future of Wokingham town centre have been raised after a long-standing art shop and gallery announced that it is to close.
TG Art Gallery – which has been in Wokingham town centre for 30 years – is to close on Saturday, February 10.
The shop made the announcement on Facebook on Wednesday, January 10, adding that it hoped to open a framing venue in the future.
Members of the Wokingham Borough Residents’ discussion group on Facebook raised concerns about the future of shopping in the town centre.
Some suggested that Wokingham is struggling to compete with its neighbour Bracknell, while others blamed town centre parking charges for reducing footfall.
One member said: “Unfortunately, with the lack of free parking and high business rates, Wokingham Town Centre is doomed to a slow but inevitable decline.
“I live outside of Wokingham Town Centre and have never heard any of my acquaintances talk about going to Wokingham to shop, Reading – yes, Bracknell – yes, Wokingham – no. Unless Wokingham Town Centre has something to attract shoppers it has no hope.”
But others said that town centres are struggling everywhere due to the costs of living crisis and internet shopping.
One commented: “Businesses and high streets are struggling the world over, particularly in the UK. We can, as consumers, try and shop locally, but in the end, this is an existential question in the age of high-speed deliveries; does the average customer prefer customer service or convenience?”
TG Art Gallery did not say why it had decided to close, and the Local Democracy Reporting Service has attempted to contact the owners.
Wokingham Borough Council’s decision to increase charges in its town centre car parks last year has previously been accused of causing the number of customers visiting shops to fall.
At a council meeting in November, resident George Evans said business owners ‘had experienced heavy-handed enforcement and significant reductions in footfall and revenue, between 20 and 40 per cent’ since the increase.
Yet Cllr Paul Fishwick – responsible for car parks – said the council was studying the impact of the parking charges, but that initial figures suggested there had been no drop in the number of visitors coming to the town centre.
He said: “Footfall has actually not gone down at all in Wokingham where we have got some sensors. So, we are doing as much as we can to attract people into our town centres.”
He added: “I think a lot of it is down to the cost of living.”
Wokingham Borough Council has been contacted for comment.
