Woodley Residents Concerned Over Shopping Decline

People in Woodley are concerned about their town centre after a string of recent changes.

Independent homeware shop Good Home has moved into the old Mystic Lounge tattoo premises - a win for shoppers - but worries remain as Lloyds Bank is due to close on June 17 and the Morrisons Daily Post Office is earmarked for closure.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited the precinct on Friday, June 5 to see how people feel about the retail scene.

Speaking about Good Home relocating, Wendy Bright said: "Yes, I’m definitely glad that they’re staying. But it just feels like there’s not enough here, particularly banks.

"If that post office goes, people like me use it quite a lot. I don’t know where I’m going to go because I don’t drive, so people like me and elderly people are going to be stuck.

Mrs Bright, who lives in Earley, said she also avoids the precinct in the evenings because of anti-social behaviour: "Well I’won’t come down here later because of the kids, they can be feral."

There have been some changes: Adda Hut is now the Woodley Food Stasian and Mr Cod has had a refurbishment, but Papa John’s has been closed for about one to two months and its website shows it is not taking orders.

Trader Kyle Alleyne of Mayas Treats, in Woodley for four years, said trading is very weather-dependent: "We’re very seasonal, so we depend a lot on the weather, right?

"If it had been 30 degrees today, we would have a line out of the door.

"But on a normal day, the foot traffic’s all right, but we’d do better in the Reading town centre.

Shoppers noted the precinct is now heavy on coffee shops and charity shops. There are hopes another business will take over the Morrisons Daily and Post Office if it does close.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter