Boots Closure Survey

Following Boots’ decision to close the two branches located on Portland Walk and Risedale Road in Barrow in Furness, a number of constituents have contacted my office to raise the issue with me.

I wholeheartedly share their concerns over the significant loss of services and inconvenience that this will cause. I have already written to Boots to urge them to reconsider the decision to close.

I want to hear your views on this. 

Barrow Town Centre, especially Portland Walk, is in the process of redevelopment which will see it transformed in the near future.

Barrow was successful in being awarded £15.9 million as part of the Levelling Up Fund. This award will transform the high street by updating the covered market, redeveloping The Forum, and creating a new park and entertainment space in town. Further to this, Barrow has also been awarded £25 million by way of the Towns Fund scheme. This will finally bring the much anticipated and long-awaited Marina Village development to a brown field site at Buccleuch Dock, bringing with it hundreds of quality new homes, leisure, and retail facilities, and a new university campus, with a body of students who will be keen to access the town. BAE have also decided to step in and purchase the now vacant Debenhams, WH Smiths, and Sweet Emporium stores on Portland Walk which will significantly increase footfall in this area of the town centre as they are converted to office space.

These investments mark the start of the turnaround for Barrow Town Centre. Shutting Boots stores down this early is ridiculous when you consider the increased usage the store would see following these developments, not to mention how detrimental it would be to constituents who need to access their services now.

To strengthen the case, I’d like to know how important these stores are to you.

Please take my short survey below to let me know.