Even the charity shops are leaving Aldershot

YMCA closed down in Aldershot

Signs of a failing town centre, boarded-up shops, binge drinking bars, gambling joints, pay day loan sharks, junk food outlets and charity shops.

The charity shops take over what otherwise would be boarded-up shops.

In Aldershot, even the charity shops are pulling out.

Last year Shelter finally closed. YMCA closed at the start of the week.

What we are seeing is the consequence of decades of bad planning decisions. A dysfunctional local council with no understanding of what constitutes good town centre planning or how local economies function.

Top down does not work.

The only future Aldershot has is to designate the dead shopping centre as ReSpace and open to social enterprises and business start-ups.

• Another retailer pulls out of Aldershot
• What to do with a dead shopping centre?

Tags: Aldershot, charity shops, Even the charity shops are leaving Aldershot