A COUNCILLOR has said the closure of House of Fraser is a "dark moment" for Darlington, but vowed the council will fight back to support the town centre.

Chris McEwan, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said it was a "major blow" for the town centre to lose the department store, and it was "devastating" for the people of Darlington.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, Cllr McEwan vowed to continue fighting for Darlington, adding he would do everything to ensure M&S changes its mind about pulling out of the town centre.

“This is devastating news for Darlington, there’s no doubt it is a major blow," he said.

“We are seeing a seismic shift in the retail landscape of this country and unfortunately Darlington is bearing the brunt of that change.

“House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer are two of the largest retailers in the UK and for them to fail is terrible for our High Street.

"It is one of the darkest moments but we have got to maintain a vision and keep on fighting.

"I will do whatever it takes to maintain an M&S presence – yes there will be the site in Faverdale, but people want to buy M&S food in Darlington town centre."

Cllr McEwan accepted retail was "hurting", but said the town centre would always be a top priority for the council.

"A vibrant town centre is critical for the whole town, including the health, well-being and happiness of residents.

“£500,000 has been set aside this year specifically for the town centre, including free parking, extra events and additional street cleaning, as part of long term efforts to encourage more people to visit, whether to work or for leisure.

“There will be no knee jerk reactions – as a council we will do what we can, with the resources we have, to support the town centre and encourage people to continue to visit.

"People say to me about the business rates and why don’t we subsidise them, but the simple truth is we cannot afford to lose that amount of money – we are talking about £50m. The rates are set nationally and they penalise the town centre.

"It is a catastrophic loss, but we are not going to go without a fight."

Cllr McEwan said the High Street can still be a "great place to work, live, shop, eat, drink and do leisure".

“The House of Fraser building is owned by foreign investors – we will work with anyone we need to in order to save what we can.

"It is the largest single retail unit in terms of floor space in Darlington."