Reporter TOM CURPHEY speaks to Peel business owners about broken promises, boarded-up shops and what they believe must change...

When I was a child, walking up Michael Street with my mum or grandparents was a simple ritual.

It wasn’t bustling, not quite Douglas’ Strand Street on a Saturday, but the shops were full, the shutters up, and the people of Peel used it. Nearly every shopfront had a purpose.

Fast forward to 2025, Peel itself has grown, more houses, more people, yet its high street has never looked flatter.

Michael Street, once the beacon of Peel, has been hollowed out.

More than eight premises stand derelict, the sight of boarded windows and peeling paint more common than bright displays.

It is, in many ways, a story mirrored across Britain and the Isle of Man.

Just look at Douglas’s Strand Street, where 17 empty units now lie bare. Online shopping, high rents, parking shortages, the list of reasons is familiar.

But Peel’s traders and residents are beginning to ask if more could be done.

Back in 2020, Peel was offered a shot at reinvention.

A regeneration scheme for Michael Street and Atholl Place was drawn up after the Market Square improvements, promising a facelift and a fresh vision.

But traders, wary of long closures and lost business, objected.

The planning committee rejected the application unanimously in November 2020.

Market Square, meanwhile, has received investment and today looks revitalised. But Michael Street has been left behind.

The impact is plain to see. In recent years Peel has lost the beloved bakery Muffins, Simpsons, a town staple, and a short-lived chocolate shop.

And just weeks ago, the micropub Miller’s T’Ale became the latest casualty.

So what now? And what do those still holding on think can be done?

Steve Tate, of Tate’s Traditional Butchers, has been in the meat trade since 1976 and opened his Peel shop in 2018.

He is forthright about what he sees as the failings of Peel Commissioners.

‘Peel Commissioners are good at making broken promises,’ he said.

‘We’ve got 11 car parks in Peel, and they want to go and build a new one down on the prom, where there’s no parking.

‘They could have bought the old garage down there, made that into parking. But they don’t communicate.

‘I don’t have the town clerk come in here, talk to me, see how things are going.’

He recalled asking the local authority for hanging baskets and better signage. The results, he said, fell far short.

‘They put one basket up. And then the sign down on the prom - honestly, it looks like a child who ran out of crayons drew it,’ he said.

‘Compare that to Castletown. They’ve had so much investment and it looks fantastic. Why can’t Peel have that?’

According to Tate, only 11 of the 20 units on Michael Street are currently open. ‘That’s incredible, isn’t it?’ he said.

‘We took a big hit when Tesco arrived (on the street), and we’ve just had to keep going.’

Next door, The Bookshop is a treasure trove of second-hand titles, particularly motorcycling, Manx and military history.

Its owner, Martin Bosscher, has traded on Michael Street for nearly a quarter of a century. He believes the pandemic accelerated a decline that has never reversed.

‘What basically killed my shop and a lot of others was Covid,’ he said. ‘During lockdowns, people changed their shopping habits. They went online, had everything delivered.

‘When things reopened, I lost about 40% of my customers. They just never came back.’

While some call for investment or even pedestrianisation, Mr Bosscher is sceptical. ‘I don’t see what commissioners or government can do,’ he said.

‘It’s a general change in habits. Painting the buildings won’t bring people back. They’re used to shopping online now.’

One of the newest arrivals, GG Bakery, opened in August 2024 and has already built a following with its ‘Peel Pasty’ and other tasty selections.

But its owner admits running a shop on Michael Street can be unpredictable.

‘As a small business, the problem is inconsistency,’ he said.

‘Some days you’re flat out, other days there’s nobody on the street for hours. The street just needs more people.

‘But no new shops will come unless there are more people walking past. It’s a catch-22.’

He believes better connections between Peel’s new housing estates and its old town are vital.

‘There’s about 5,000 people in Peel,’ he said. ‘If everyone spent just £1 a month on Michael Street, that’s £5,000 straight back into the street. That would make a massive difference.’

Mitchell’s, Peel’s long-standing newsagent, has been trading on Michael Street since 1979.

Owner Ian Mitchell has seen the highs and lows of the street, but admits the current picture is bleak.

‘It’s quite sad to see so many places closing,’ he said. ‘We keep going, but you do wonder how long.’

For Mitchell, the biggest problem is parking. ‘People come to Peel and there’s nowhere to park, so they just leave,’ he said. ‘More spaces are needed, but not in the street itself. That just clogs it up.’

For Charles Miller, who recently closed his micropub Miller’s T’Ale, Peel’s problem is not just economics but appearance.

‘Peel is just looking shabby,’ he said. ‘Castletown looks lovely. Douglas isn’t too bad. They’ve done Ramsey too. Why not Peel?’

He believes Peel could unlock its potential with modest improvements.

‘Make it smart, modernise it, get proper crossings in. Let businesses spill out onto the street, a couple of tables outside. It doesn’t all need to be down on the promenade.

‘Michael Street could thrive again.’

Mr Miller pointed to Peel’s community spirit as something to build on. ‘Back in 1945 there were six street parties. It doesn’t take much for commissioners to close a road. They could do it again.’

Almost everyone I spoke to agreed that Peel’s high street deserves better.

Some want cosmetic improvements, others point to structural issues like parking and shopping habits.

But what unites them is frustration that Peel has been left behind while other towns have seen investment.

As one trader put it: ‘It feels like this street of Peel has been forgotten.’

We asked Peel Commissioners for their response to the concerns raised by traders.

The Town Clerk, Derek Sewell, said: ‘The Commissioners have supported the Government’s strategy to regenerate and invest in Peel’s Town centre.

‘Most recently, this resulted in obtaining planning permission in October 2021 to permit Department of Infrastructure regeneration investment in Atholl Place while further dialogue took place between the Department and Michael Street retailers on how best to improve the infrastructure in Michael Street.

‘The Commissioners are supportive of the Department of Enterprise’s 10 Year Local Economic Strategy, which was approved by Tynwald in January 2025, including the relaunch of the Town and Village Regeneration Scheme which provides grants to improve commercial premises; civic spaces; and overall urban appeal.

‘The Commissioners continue to provide a 25% top up to the grants offered by the Department of Enterprise under this scheme to allow retailers and landlords to invest in their business premises.

‘The Commissioners’ Event and Commercial Innovation Lead Member Committee met with traders in July 2025 to better understand the local difficulties facing the retail sector and to promote the benefits of setting up a Peel Chamber of Commerce for retail.

‘This Lead Member Committee discussed how the Commissioners’ functions such as: street cleaning; providing visitor information; off street parking management; and public event sponsorship could be improved to support retailing in Michael Street.

‘This feedback from retailers and the Commissioners’ July 2025 review of parking in the Town is being built into the Board’s strategy following their election from 1 May 2025.

‘The Commissioners were saddened to hear of the closure of two public house businesses in Peel in recent weeks and welcome the opening of the new Café in Atholl Place over the weekend. All the Commissioners’ commercial premises are currently occupied by business tenants including the new nursery which opened in the Philip Christian Centre in September 2025.

‘The Commissioners can confirm they do not own any premises, land or buildings in Michael Street.’

For those who remember it as Peel’s beating heart, the question is simple: can it be revived, or will its decline become permanent?

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