A Women's Enterprise Centre could create 150 new jobs a year for Peterborough, according to the city council leader.
Cllr Marco Cereste has come under fire after Peterborough City Council rejected Panasonic's offer to rent the unit at 7, Bridge Street for £50,000 with 15 months rent-free and creating 12 jobs in favour of the new centre, whose aim is to give advice and support to women looking to return to work or set up their own businesses.
The decision has also generated a big reaction from
ET readers who have posted over 100 messages on the ET's website, the majority criticising the move.
But Cllr Cereste has branded the criticisms as "short-termist" as the centre was also part of a wider project to regenerate St Peter's Arcade with the council's new Destination Centre and a cafe planned.
He said: "I think it is a very unfair position and unrealistic. If we are successful as the centre in Norwich it could generate 150 jobs for the city in the next 12 months.
"Even if it is about 60 per cent successful then that is still 100 jobs a year. Let's get it all into context. There are lots of other shop units Panasonic can use.
"If we continue to be short-termist in Peterborough, we will end up as we are now with shopping centre shops empty, educational attainment only average and the aspirations of our community no higher than at the moment.
"Wouldn't that be really sad when this tremendous city really deserves the life and vibrancy that other cities have?"
Cllr Cereste added the enterprise centre was earmarked for the site six months ago and council officers' time had been spent securing £400,000 a year from East of England Development Agency for the next two years to run the site.
He said: "Why should Panasonic dictate to the local council what it wants in the city centre?
"We have spent a lot of time developing a scheme that will be of benefit to the city, well beyond the rental we would have for the shop."
But managing director of electrical retailer Bennetts Mike Jones, who is looking to open the store under the Panasonic brand, said their offer was not unreasonable in the financial climate and the council had not been in contact to negotiate further.
He added he did not believe the centre could generate that amount of jobs and called for a meeting with Cllr Cereste to view his business model.
Mr Jones said: "It is easy to say extra jobs would be produced but I would love to see the business model for making those jobs appear."
He added he had been a businessman in Norwich for years and was unaware of the Inspiring Women's Enterprise, which the Peterborough centre will be modelled on.
Your view on the council's decisionA selection of the comments posted on peterboroughtoday.co.uk,
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Unbelievable. Nice to see the city council being as flexible as ever when it comes to attracting established names into the city.
THE CHIEFAn independent (ie not another Dixons) store wants to open a shop and we get a women's enterprise centre instead? I presume it is council run so instead of making the council money for services its going to cost us money on more staff and pensions.
Are no men allowed there? Lame.
SIMON BSmall independent retailers like Bennetts can not make Queensgate pay but we should welcome them with open arms to Bridge Street.There must be alternative locations for the Women's Enterprise Centre. I just hope that the same people who made this decision have nothing to do with the Women's Enterprise Centre.
FAIR MINDED RESIDENTSo, unsuitable retailers for Bridge Street include a shop selling our national dish and a shop selling quality electrical goods. Suitable retailers include a Women's Enterprise Centre and an unnamed eatery who pulled out at the last minute.
THE FOOL ON THE HILLToday, I saw a group measuring up and organising the repainting/refitting of this building, therefore it's been a chosen space for some time now. The point that seems to be being missed is really very simple. Bennetts were hired and paid to find a shop for Panasonic to refit and open by Christmas. Bennetts were told at the beginning that this shop (only 1 of 72 empty shops in the city centre) was earmarked for another 'service'. Bennetts then went back to Panasonic to tell them they had found a shop, but when it came to discuss it with the council they were refused.
TWINKWhy does a Women's Enterprise Centre have to be in the middle of a retail environment anyway? Can women not find their way to any location that doesn't have shops around it?
A SEYMOUR