A BOURNEMOUTH businessman who owns 11 shops is closing his branch at The Triangle and blaming the council.
He says that his Bournemouth customers prefer to shop at his Southampton store and are deterred from shopping in Bournemouth by parking charges.
Jeremy Berg, managing director of dress fabrics and haberdashery retailer Fabric Land, says his empire grew after it had moved to the Comm- ercial Road site 22 years ago.
He said: "I'm unhappy about shutting our shop at 91 Com-mercial Road but poor footfall has forced the issue. I blame the council.
"I decided to close this branch 18 months ago because customers have to want to come shopping in the town centre - and they don't.
"I'm finding that people prefer to travel from Bournemouth to my Southampton branch because they prefer the location.
"Coffee Republic opened two doors away from me, not so long ago, and shut two weeks later because of diabolical trade."
Mr Berg believes that trade has got worse in the town. "The council has destroyed trade by allowing Castlepoint with its free parking.
"Shoppers have to pay to park in Bournemouth," he said.
Mr Berg does not intend to leave the borough and is considering opening a branch elsewhere.
He added: "Brighton and Hove City Council has made Brighton a vibrant town centre by not allowing a large shopping centre on the edge like Bourne-mouth Borough Council has with Castlepoint.
"I've had a shop in Southampton for the past 19 years.
"There, Southampton City Council, like Brighton and Hove City Council, has opted to put WestQuay in the city centre."
Conservative leader of Bournemouth Borough Council Stephen MacLoughlin said: "There has been heavy investment in Commercial Road, resulting in increased footfall - bucking the national trend.
"We have seen Costa Coffee and Coffee Republic come to the town.
"Bournemouth also has the first Marks & Spencer eco store in the UK.
"It is down to individual traders to benefit from the investment," he added.
Fabric Land will shut at the end of May.
