Big-hearted volunteers have stepped in where others fear to tread – by cleaning up two Nantwich grotspots.
These hardy folk from Civic Society and Rotary Club teamed up to clean up the outside of an “eyesore” empty shop unit, formerly a pharmacy, on High Street.
And they also tackled graffiti on a bridge on Mill Island in Nantwich.
Jeff Stubbs, Chair of the Civic Society, said they felt they had to step in as the town prepares to welcome thousands of visitors to the Battle of Nantwich tomorrow (January 25).
And it comes after Nantwich News reported how town councillors discussed how to tackle the grottier areas of the town.
Jeff said: “The Civic Society has been in contact with the owner of the former pharmacy on High Street for a couple of years to encourage him to clean it up.
“We have tried to interest him in using the photographic stick-on vinyls with a scene of a bright shop in use – to give the impression of some activity and not an empty drab shop.
“They are often used on indoor shopping malls where one landlord controls the units. The cost however is around £1k as it is a double window.
“To date we have not been successful – but we did get his permission to clean it up.
“So volunteers from the Civic Society and the Rotary Club of Nantwich did just that.
“We cleaned the paintwork and scraped the windows of baked-on residue years of dried sellotaped posters, removed weeds and general muck – and ended up with a real improvement.
“Many favourable comments from shoppers were received for our efforts.”
The team also cleaned graffiti off the Millennium Bridge at Mill Island earlier this week.
“It’s all with tomorrow’s Civil War crowds in mind,” added Jeff.
Fellow Civic Society member Peter Epton raised the organisation’s concern at the last town council about the state of certain parts of the town.
In that meeting, Cllr Peter Groves said they had written to the owners of other empty buildings asking them to be cleaned up.
To Keith Warhurst, try this Web site to join the Nantwich Civic Society, we meet monthly at The Museum.
Address your e mail to The Chair of Nantwich Civic Society.
http://www.nantwichcivicsociety.org.uk/
John Kirk
Civic Society Member
Thank you to the amazing volunteers! It would be amazing if this landlord would pay for the vinyl covers as described. The premises would quickly be of more interest and occupied as a prime spot in town..worth the investment and gratitude of residents!
The empty old coop building would make a fab vegan market for small businesses, even if it was open only a few days a week like Nantwich market.
Shame on this landlord, disgusting attitude. When I owned an empty shop I used to drive 50 miles round trip every month to keep the outside and interior clean.
I got the support of local stores who lent various items from their stores some of them were only empty boxes, but the display looked as tho it was a shop still in business to the casual passer by.
I cannot understand the mentality of a landlord who will be still paying full business rates, unless the property is listed, not letting it at zero rent short term till a buyer or tenant can take over.
The writing is on the wall, not all big stores will continue, you have had your day, you big rents are gone forever, you had your full repairing leases at top rent, now is time to consider the town and the community better
I moved from Manchester to live in Nantwich one of my reasons was for the move was how clean and tidy Nantwich is compared to Manchester. The council and volunteers who go out and clean the town here are a shining example of how a town should be kept. It’s wonderful to still see passionate people who still have a civic pride in their town. The people of Nantwich should be proud of their town and its history. I think Nantwich is a beautiful place and that is down to the people who give their free time to keep this historic town so clean and tidy, and also especially the council street cleaners who do there utmost to keep this town spick and span. If every person in the county just picked up one piece of litter the streets would be much cleaner, and we would be helping to maintain our environment for the future.
You are a credit to the area ,well done to all involved, now you have cleaned the shop front it will probably now get let,hope the landlord is happy, would be nice for him or her to contribute in some way
How do you volunteer? I sent an email to an address that I found online, offering to help, but got no reply!