One of the few remaining shoe shops in Bradford city centre is to close.
Stead & Simpson has been a presence in Bradford for half a century, but will close for the last time on Thursday, January 20.
Walter Lazoryk, who has run the shoe shop in Broadway for 30 years, said the mothballed Westfield shopping development had sounded the death knell.
He predicted that other Broadway retailers may follow soon and hang up their closed signs for good.
When Stead & Simpson shuts, it will leave five staff out of work.
The closure comes at a time when Bradford Council has been trying to “re-engage” with city centre traders through a series of consultation meetings.
Mr Lazoryk said rather than turning the on-hold Westfield site into an urban garden, it should have become a car park.
He said: “At least then it would have encouraged more people into the city centre.
“Just £1 a day, just think of how much money that could have generated. As a garden, it might look nice but it’s just a waste of space.
“There is nothing down this end of Broadway to attract the shoppers. There’s nothing out there.
“The town planners have just cut us off from the rest of the city centre. Bradford is being progressively destroyed. It’s not a pleasant place to come to. You can’t blame people for shopping elsewhere.”
Mr Lazoryk said although the shop still had a loyal customer base there was “no hope” of attracting new shoppers.
“And therefore it’s not viable anymore,” he said.
He also said the retail park at Forster Square had been a bad move by planners.
“All that did was to take shoppers out of the city centre.
“It’s just added to our demise.
“There are units going in Broadway and I know there will be others following soon. The Westfield fiasco has been the death of us.”
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