TRADERS in Malvern say the town centre is thriving despite recent closures and imminent expansion of the edge-of-town retail park.

The latest closure is Superdrug, which will be closing its Church Street branch in a few weeks. The news comes soon after two other Church Street businesses shut, sandwich shop Baileys and greengrocer Veg and Things.

Select World Travel, also in Church Street, closed last December, while the Abbey Road property formerly occupied by restaurant Pepper and Oz remains vacant, as does a unit in Church Walk.

However estate agent Philip Laney and Jolly has occupied the Worcester Road shop vacated by Beacon Books in January, while although Time Outdoors in Church Street is closing, owner Robin Elt will be opening a new retail venture in the premises.

Superdrug spokesman Heather Steele confirmed the store would not be renewing its lease when it expires in June, but would not say what had prompted the decision.

However Anna Brook, owner of independent business Iapetus and member of Great Malvern Association of Trade (GMAT), believes the town centre’s strength lies in its range of individual, independent traders, rather than national chains.

“We’ve got two excellent independent pharmacists in Church Street, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a factor in Superdrug pulling out,” she said.

“I would not be at all surprised to see all these units retaken in weeks rather than months. I’ve just been to North Yorkshire, and some town centres there have a third of the shops empty. Malvern is just not in that category. I think the average time for a unit to stay empty is six weeks.”

Simon Smith, economic development officer at Malvern Hills District Council, does not believe there is any cause for concern. He said: “It’s sad when any business closes down, but the town centre does not have the problem of properties standing empty for long periods.”

Meanwhile three new “high calibre”

businesses will be added to Malvern Retail Park before the year is out.

Planning permission has been granted for a 1,960 sq metre, two-storey extension to the eastern end of the site, next to Marks and Spencer, while consent is being sought for two smaller units suitable for coffee shops or restaurants, or for smaller retail use.

Agent Andrew Watt, of Maze Planning Solutions, hopes the planning permission will be in place within the next six weeks, and then it would just be a matter of owners CPG South Ltd finding the right tenants before the expansion can begin.

“This is very clearly a good-quality retail park in a good-quality location, and the owner is extremely careful to ensure that it maintains the right standard and right mixture of tenants on the site,” he said.

“The demand for the site is good, so there is a very good prospect that a very substantial investment in the site will be built this year.”