Next first - who's next?

Last week it was reported on the front page of the Lancaster Guardian that the Lancaster branch of Next was intending to move from its current location into the proposed Centros Miller 'Castle View' development on the Canal Corridor North site.

This news is extremely worrying, especially considering that Centros Miller and Lancaster City Council have previously given a commitment that Lancaster's major chains, such as Marks and Spencer, would not move to this new development. Instead, the Council and Centros Miller said that the development would attract 'new' chains that did not already have shops in Lancaster. How do Next's plans to move fit in with this guarantee? Which other shops will follow Next?

It's Our City have been predicting exactly this - that Lancaster's major chain shops would move to the new development if it goes ahead. This will result in yet more empty shops in the existing city centre. This will mean that the proposed Canal Corridor North development will create an alternative and competing city centre, and this will force local independent retailers, who can't afford the rents in the 'new' city centre, out of business. The existing centre of Lancaster will become a ghost town, and much of what currently attracts visitors to this city will be lost.