Photo: Doomed – Birkdale Trading Estate
Business owners at Birkdale Trading Estate have been told to clear out regardless of whether or not Aldi takeover the site – as the estate is coming to the ‘end of its economic life.’
We have seen letters sent by Trading Estate landlords to store owners on the Liverpool Road site, just a matter of weeks after we revealed that Aldi Supermarkets had declared their interest in opening a potential superstore there in the future.
However traders have been told that regardless of any supermarket takeover, their lease would be terminated in 2018 anyway due to the site not being fit for current legislation on thermal efficiency.
A petition to keep Birkdale Trading open has been set up by business owners, but the latest revelation will come as a damning blow to their hopes of remaining where they are.
The latest correspondence between landlords and the business owners state that their leases will be terminated by April 1, 2018 as new legislation coming into effect next year about the thermal efficiency of properties on trading estates, would see the site deemed unfit for purpose and therefore no longer economically viable.
It also states that a number of options for the future of the site, including a takeover by Aldi, have already been discussed. The landlords and supermarket have promised they will now look at alternative plots of land for current businesses to move to.
The letter, from landlord Sam Stock, says: “As you may know new legislation regarding thermal efficiencies will come into effect in 2017 meaning that the units on the trading estate will no longer be fit for let in their current state from April 1, 2018.
“We have previously investigated the costs associated with a range of options including refurbishment which would simply not be viable.
“We are in the process of obtaining more up to date information on this through a new conditions survey however we very much expect that the situation will not have improved.
“As such I am looking at alternative options for the site – as part of this I am in talks with Aldi about potential plans to remove the existing units from the site and bring forward a food store in this location.
“For tenants the upcoming changes in legislation would mean a termination of your lease arrangement and a requirement to relocate should you wish to continue your operatiions.”
A meeting will be held between the estate and business owners at St John’s Chuch in Birkdale on Wednesday May 4.
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