A FAMILY shop is being forced out of its home of five decades to make way for a regeneration project.

Popular community shop Greenways Newsagents Ltd has been given just three years left as landlord Vivid prepares to turf out businesses to redevelop the Winklebury Centre.

It is understood the housing association wants to modernise the building to coincide with the Manydown development which will see more than 3,500 homes built nearby.

Barry Dodds and Jackie Lambell have been running the much-loved shop since their father passed it on to them twenty years ago.

Jackie said: “Fifty years we have put into this business as a family and as a community - and now they want us out.”

It comes just months after The Gazette revealed Winklebury Cycles, based in the same block, was evicted, leaving residents outraged.

Mike Shepherd, director of new business and development at Vivid, said: “We understand developments can cause feelings of uncertainty for business owners and residents within the community.

“We are working towards submitting our planning application in spring 2021 and will meet with each of the business owners and residents early in the new year.”

Councillor Angie Freeman, representative for the ward, said it was “shocking” and accused Vivid of finding “any excuse” to get businesses out.

The corner shop has been in the family since it was opened by Peter Dodds in 1971.

Jackie said since taking over the business 20 years ago from her father, she and her co-owner and brother, Barry, have had the threat of closure held over them.

Their dad opened Greenways in the 1970s, and owned a number of other Winklebury businesses over the years, but today all the Winklebury Centre units are owned by Vivid.

Jackie said: “Ever since day one we’ve had this hanging over us. As soon as we were in, they were talking about closing it all down. We haven’t been able to enjoy the business.”

Jackie was emotional as she talked about the loss of shops like hers to the local community.

She said: “A lot of our regular faces have known us since we were children. It’s all that Barry and I have known. When we go, I don’t know what the local people will do.”

The community spirit of the pandemic, and increasing necessity of local shops, has sparked a renewed determination in the family not to go away quietly.

“Seeing the support of the community, we want to fight a bit more. We see how much we mean to them,” said Jackie.

The family has been in touch Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, who says she has been involved with plans for regeneration of the centre since the beginning.

Mrs Miller said the developer needed to “make it a priority” to make the existing businesses a part of the new development.

She said: "After meeting some of the owners who do want to be part of the future Winklebury Centre I have taken their concerns direct to Vivid, I understand they will meet the business owners again in the coming weeks to ensure everything is being done to support them.”

But ward councillor Angie Freeman (Labour), said she is concerned that Vivid aren’t considering the needs of their tenants.

“Vivid seem to be trying to squeeze out people so that they don’t have to pay the moving costs. Their plans leave a lot to be desired,” she said.

“It’s quite shocking how Vivid are behaving. They are not listening to people and they show a blatant disregard for this community, it’s not good enough quite frankly.”

Cllr Freeman emphasised how important local shops like Greenways are to the community.

She added: “Winklebury is really community-minded. Barry and the team have always gone above and beyond and it will be terrible to lose them.”

Mike Shepherd, director of new business and development at Vivid said: “We launched the Winklebury regeneration project in February of this year, and we’ve received a high degree of support for our regeneration proposals. We’ve been working with community groups, other local stakeholders and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to understand what they would like to see in the new centre. We’ve also been in regular contact with individual retailers and we encourage them to speak to us directly if they have any concerns about the plans. Over the coming months we will be working up the planning proposals for the new centre, which will feature sufficient high-quality and well located space for any of the retailers who wish to return.

“The regeneration project in Winklebury will bring much needed long-term improvements, including opening up green space that was formerly inaccessible, improved health provision, a new pre-school and a retail centre that meets local needs, allowing residents to shop local, whilst also reflecting the changing retail landscape.”