Meadowhall has unveiled plans to regenerate part of the shopping centre into a new luxurious space, but some people could feel excluded as a result.
The Sheffield shopping centre announced that it would undergo a range of changes over the course of 18 months and create an elevated shopping experience.
George Piper, 37, from Meadowhead, said: “I expect that not many people can afford to go to these new designer shops, especially in a cost-of-living crisis, which I think is a little insensitive as people are struggling right now and can’t even afford enough food.
“I wasn’t aware of these plans to make this space in Meadowhall, but we’ve lost Wilko, a shop that was reasonably priced and somewhere everybody went to. The shops for the average person are slowly disappearing.”
The plans for the regenerated area begin at Flannels, an already existing designer brand that has prices ranging from £50 to £2500 for a range of luxurious clothing.
The area, formerly known as Park Lane, has been renamed The Avenue and will extend to the deserted Debenhams, converting it into a new House of Fraser.
A spokesperson for Meadowhall said in a press release: “The space will bring a reinvigorated look and feel with new contemporary sculptural furniture and the addition of lush greenery in the mall spaces, designed to give visitors a refreshed shopping experience.”
New store signage will also be implemented to give a more modern design.
Luke McEnhil, 24, a golf instructor from Rotherham, said: “Some of Meadowhall definitely needs a re-vamp and it’s a good thing that Debenhams is finally getting filled with shops that can bring more people to the area.
“I’m not from Sheffield, but I regularly go to Meadowhall because it’s a shopping hub for South Yorkshire and this could be good because these brands will bring even more people over and make their trip more worthwhile.”