Concerns raised over future of shopping centre
LDRSThe future of a town's "eyesore" shopping centre has been questioned as shops lie empty.
Concerns have been raised over Bishop Auckland's Newgate Centre after it earned £350,000 less than expected.
Durham County Council bought the site for £3.31m in 2022 and announced an ambition to revitalise it, but changes to shopping habits and the collapse of several high street retailers have left it in limbo.
The local authority has admitted it faces a huge task to overhaul the site and attract new traders.
Members of the council's corporate overview and scrutiny committee urged the council to explore new options for the shopping centre, with one councillor labelling it "vacant and an eyesore".
Finance manager Ed Thompson said the "main anchor tenants" and others had left, "which were the main income streams".
The Reform-led council has a multimillion-pound investment plan for the town centre and the Auckland Project, but high street shops are competing with the expanding retail park at Tindale, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Evenwood Reform councillor Rob Potts said the car park at the Newgate Centre was empty "most days of the week".
Meanwhile councillor David Walton, Reform member for Stanley, said: "I think no matter how hard the [council] officers try, they aren't going to find tenants."
Despite the financial loss, council officers said they were determined to improve the shopping centre.
Rob Davisworth, head of corporate finance, said: "We are pursuing a number of options but there is a lack of demand."
He said that the council may look at external organisations for support and "suggest how we can effectively market and brand it".
"There is a plethora of choice on the high street in terms of alternative premises, and it takes time to bring in potential interested parties."
Davisworth added: "There is a need to review the longevity of the site."
