Roodhouse backs M&S Simply Food store in Rugby Town Centre

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse is backing calls to site an M&S Simply Food store in Rugby Town Centre.

In September M&S announced their plans to abandon Rugby's town centre and move out to the revamped Elliott's Field retail park off Leicester Road.

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse (Lib Dem, Eastlands) has joined Cllr Claire Edwards (Lab, Newbold & Brownsover) and the town's MP Mark Pawsey in signing a letter calling on Marks & Spencer to site one of their Simply Food shops in the town centre.

However Jerry Roodhouse is not optimistic that M&S will listen to the opinions of Rugby residents. Writing for last week's Rugby Advertiser, 27 November 2014, Cllr Roodhouse welcomes Rugby First's decision to back their campaign before adding that so far "the reply back from M&S has been a consistent no".

Marks & Spencer's current store is well served by bus routes and lies within walking distance for many people living in inner Rugby. In contrast the Elliott's Field site is designed around a car park and is poorly served by public transport. The people who are likely to suffer most from M&S pulling out are pensioners who rely on the bus to get to the shops.

What national retailer would announce a major environmental initiative under a "Plan A" strapline with a commitment to become "carbon neutral" and help its customers "live a healthier life style" and then relocate to a site whose focussed on car-borne shoppers? Only at M&S.

This is the first in a series of articles Rugby Liberal Democrats website is running on the future of Rugby Town Centre this week.