Around 20 jobs could be lost in a Telford shopping mall as businesses shut up shop – blaming increasing rents.
Madeley Centre Mall, on Russell Square, currently houses a number of businesses including a card shop, computer shop, pet shop and charity shop.
But two of the businesses, Cats Protection and Wrekin Computers, claim a recent rent hike means they will have to leave the mall.
The Cats Protection charity shop has been in the mall for around five years and has around 20 people working there.
Cheryll Evans, who has worked at the shop for two years, said: “We are closing. I think they are putting up the rent on the shop.
“There is another Cats Protection shop at Broseley but it is a nice community here, it is a shame. We love it here.
“A lot of people will be losing their jobs, they are volunteers, but there have got to be about 20 people working in this shop.”
Ben Parker, volunteer, said people would also lose some of their friends.
“Unfortunately when it closes we are going to lose contact,” he said.
Tanya Burchell, a spokesperson from Cats Protection’s head of operations for the South West and Wales, said: “Cats Protection has decided to close its shop in Madeley as the current location is not ideal and rents are going up.
“As a charity that helps over 193,000 cats a year, we have to be mindful of our costs. There is already another Cats Protection shop in the Telford area in Broseley so we’d love cat lovers to visit us there.”
Kurt Vincent, of Wrekin Computers, has also confirmed he will be leaving the mall.
He said: “There is insufficient business over the last eight or nine months and it doesn’t prove to be worth it.
“Obviously the recession hasn’t helped and the works in Madeley.
“We can only go by what we have heard, and we have had no contact with the landlord, but we believe it is a 30 percent rent rise.”
A spokesperson for Savills said: “The landlord wishes to state he is disappointed to see the tenants leave and has no further comment.”
