THE number of shoppers in Wantage town centre has shot up by 30 per cent in the last year, according to a new report.
An average 1,101 people were recorded every hour in a September survey, against 846 last autumn, compared to a decline of 0.8 per cent for the whole country.
The report by Vale of White Horse District Council comes after Wantage won a national town centre award last month. The Vale and town council-funded Town Team, Iain Nicholson and Mim Norvell, were commended then for helping to fill 21 of 23 empty shops in 18 months.
Last week a new 220-seat Wildwood pizza restaurant opened in Wantage Market Place.
Our top stories
Area manager Neema Karia said: “Our footfall last week was massive; people were queueing to get in.”
Increased footfall was most marked in Mill Street, where it rose by 50 per cent.
Alison King, who opened her Buzz cafe in Mill Street in April, said: “Without question, we are so much busier than we were.”
- Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here