Autumnal Statement

We recently promised a post on the state of Rhuthun and I’m pleased to say that in spite of the recession matters looking positive.

	July 2008	November 2009
No. of vacant units	22	12

Rhuthun was at its lowest ebb at the end of July 2008. In little over one year later, the number of vacant units has reduced by ten.

There are still a number of vacant units, some of which are longstanding.

• Two of these (and one in particular) are on the narrows in Clwyd Street. It’s possible that people are put off letting these units owing to their size and parking issues.
• A third longstanding vacant unit is the former butcher (then bric-a-brac) on Well Street (next to the Manor House/Manorhaus).
• Slater's car sales, Lucinda, Que Paso and the smaller part of the former Majestic Travel has been vacant now for between 12 and 18 months.
• Sweetie Heaven, Rhuthun Carpets, Pass it On and Grosvenor Florists shut during the summer. The former Rhuthun Carpets next to the former bric-a-brac mentioned above are now a particularly unhappy sight.
• Over the summer, Nanercherow has moved along one unit to occupy the vacant-for-12-months A Time for Me but creating another vacancy in the process, at the former Beehive.
• The former Coffee Mill, which closed in July 2008 and opened briefly over the summer 2009 as Espresso Espresso, closed soon after.

Balancing this, there are some positive changes, some of which we have already noted.

• Upon the departure of Baroque, Clwyd Street, Reebee's Florist has moved next door and the resultant vacant premises are now under preparation for Blackcurrant children's clothes.
• Edenbloom florist opened in the longstanding vacancy, unoccupied for over two years, where Vale Insurance once was, Well Street.
• The departure of Uptown Fashions, Well Street, will bring an antique dealer by the name of Cornerpost.
• Molyneux's estate agent arrived in July 2008, had departed in January 2009 and the building from last month—including the Halifax back office that closed earlier—is now occupied by Caledfryn credit union.
• The Watergate tearooms, opened briefly in September 2008, opened again over the summer, after at least an eight month period of closure.
• Ruthin Traders now occupies the majority of the former Majestic Travel premises on St Peter's Square, vacant for 15 months.
• Almost immediately that MDUK closed, along came Vanity Fayre beauty, on the Square.
• Over the summer, Izzy Wizzy moved into what was the recently shut Traed Bach; Elysium sustainable fashions occupied a previously long term vacant unit; and upon the closure of Studio 21 barber, a health & safety/work ware shop opened, all on Clwyd Street.
• Simmi, Clwyd Street, changed hands, with few even noticing it (and they also stock men's fashions, now).
• Capricorn charity shop has opened where once there was Ragazzi, largely shut (save for a brief period as a pop-up discount clothier, since February 2007.
• Ink Inc tattooist opened in Clwyd Street over the summer, again in premises that were hard to let, standing empty for about 12 months.

The prognosis looks promising though no doubt on a knife edge...