ANOTHER charity shop is set to open in a local shopping centre, just weeks after one of the last remaining non-charity retail outlets closed. 

Heritage Charity Shop is to open their third store in Accrington's Arndale Centre on Easter Saturday. 

The organisation already has a store on Abbey Street in the town as well as one on Whalley Road.

A statement from Heritage Charity Shop read: "We are delighted to announce the opening of the third Heritage Shop to be unveiled in Accrington Arndale Centre on Easter Saturday.

"The shop will sell a wide range of ladies’, gents’ and children’s clothing and accessories.

"In addition, there will be a selection of toys, books, DVDs, jewellery, watches, bric-a-brac, shoes and much more.

"All children’s clothing, both new and pre-owned, will be 50p.

"A 50p rail for adult clothing will be on offer in all three shops with the remainder of the adult clothing and footwear all at very affordable prices.

"Please do call in and have a look around. Our staff will greet you with a smile and a warm welcome and goodbye, whether you purchase anything or not.

"As ever, donations of good quality will always be warmly welcomed and can be dropped into any of the shops on Abbey Street, Whalley Road or the Arndale Centre."

However, the announcement has been met with disdain from some residents and shoppers as one of the last remaining non-charity stores, Bodycare, closed its doors in the centre earlier this year.

The Arndale Centre now houses a limited selection of shops, with WH Smith, The Lancashire Tea Rooms, uVape, Holland and Barret, Poundland, Shoe Zone, Steals and Savers being some of the only non-charity shops available for customers. 

One person said: "Might as well just call the Arndale 'The Charity Arndale' cause that is all that is in there now."

A second person added: "Omg [Oh my God] why? Another useless shop we don't need."

While another remarked: "The Arndale is full of charity shops, to say how it started off, it is a real disaster."

And a fourth person commented: "Shame there is not the same help for small businesses as there is for charity shops...we need more different shops not more tat shops."

Another person said: "Yet another reason to avoid Accrington town centre."

A further local said: "Wish it was still Bodycare. Don’t need another charity shop in Accrington."

Back in January, councillors approved a masterplan aiming to transform Accrington into a "vibrant, bustling and proud" area.

At a full council meeting on January 13, Hyndburn councillors approved the Accrington Town Centre Investment Plan (TCIP), which gives a vision for the future of the town.

Town centre bosses said the TCIP sets out potential investments of around £70 million, including 18 projects proposed for the town centre which could help to "generate up to £9.6 million for the local economy each year, entice up to 820,000 visitors annually and support hundreds of new jobs".

Leader of Hyndburn Council, Councillor Miles Parkinson, said: "The Arndale Centre is in terminal decline like many shopping centres; many anchor stores no longer have units in some of these centres.

"The Arndale Centre is the elephant in the room, and the owners will have to make some major decisions as to what they do with that building going forward.

"As retailers leave the Arndale, simply filling it with charity shops will result in it becoming a failing project.

"Some of the charity shops do fantastic things for residents of the borough but to have them in primary shopping centres shows decline of that shopping centre.

"But, it's for the Accrington Arndale to come forward and decide what they want to do.

"Someone who used to have a store in the centre who visited it recently said the best thing would be for it to be knocked down as it has outlived its purpose.

"There needs to be a rethink by the owners for what is suitable - the issue is not just in Accrington though as stores are leaving in Blackburn and Burnley - they need to think about how they are going to reinvest."