ABERYSTWYTH has lost a major chain store and is about to lose another one, with sky-high business rates being blamed.

Animal closed its Pier Street store shortly before Christmas and Thorntons is to close its store at the top of Great Darkgate Street later this month.

A line of three long-empty shops in Terrace Road is also causing concern and the old Store 21 store near the railway station still lies empty.

It is understood that SaltRock, another British surfwear company, will move into the Animal store and employ staff who were at risk of losing their jobs.

The revaluation of rateable values is partly to blame for there being “too many” empty shops in Aberystwyth, a councillor has claimed.

Speaking to the Cambrian News this week, Cllr Ceredig Davies said he was happy to see there would be no job losses at Animal.

“My understanding is that Animal have closed the shop but SaltRock will be coming in,” he said. “Obviously as the local councillor, I am glad to see another company moving in.”

But Cllr Davies said he was concerned at the rise in empty shops in the town centre, and blamed the worrying trend at least partly on some businesses’ increase in rates.

See this week’s Aberystwyth paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now