Traders on Michael Street feel 'abandoned' by politicians in tough times

So what needs to happen to regenerate Peel's high street?

This month we've been trying to get an idea of what business has been like across the Island in the run up to Christmas.

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Ramsey, because most of the feedback from traders there was overwhelmingly positive. 

And I had high hopes heading out West to the Sunset City itself to find out if the picture is the same there.

Now, I do need to declare my interests here, because I was raised in Peel and firmly consider myself to be a Peel gal.

And for that reason, I was desperate to be able to do a report that could sing about how wonderfully Peel is doing.

Sadly though, that doesn't seem to be the reality.

Every single trader I spoke to on Michael Street seemed to echo the challenges of the high street that have long been reported.

Even some of Peel's few remaining stalwarts say times are tough.

Ian Mitchell runs Mitchell's Newsagents, which has been on Michael Street forever. I used to stop in every morning to buy my cherry drops before school back in the day.

But even he says it's getting harder to compete with the online market:

Another staple of Peel High Street is Celtic Gold, and Chris Walton from there told me what things are like for them:

Parking - or lack thereof - is a theme that came up repeatedly on my stroll through the Sunset City.

And in a world where we drive everywhere, that really is an issue.

But it's not the only thing impacting businesses.

Many I spoke to said the opening of not one but two Tesco stores in Peel has been really damaging to their trade.

I stopped in the butchers for a chat, which is directly opposite the little Tesco, and he told me how disheartening it is to see people buying their meat from there.

He also said that now they're selling Manx Meat products, he's down 150 orders compared to this time last year.

And it was a concern shared by Jack Griffiths (no relation!), who opened GG Bakery last August:

We have approached Tesco for a statement, but are yet to hear back.

The people I spoke to believe there's a disconnect between traders and politicians - both locally and nationally - and many feel like they've been left to fend for themselves.

I have asked for a response from Peel Town Commissioners on that, and they had a much more positive outlook for the future of retail in the city.

They say a Traders Association has now been set up and that there are a number of recent successes to celebrate and projects being worked on.

Last month was the first meeting of that association and at the time, Stuart Hardingham told our local democracy reporter Emma Draper that they are always willing to listen to any concerns:

The commissioners have also given me a statement about Michael Street that they issued 'some time ago' which says:

"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 can confirm they do not own any premises, land or buildings in Michael Street."

I am hoping to get a more current response from them and I will update this article as soon as I do.

Peel has so much potential, but what will help unlock it?

If I had the answer to that question, then I'd probably be quite a rich girl.

One thing that certainly does seem to be missing though is unity - everyone seems to have a conflicting idea about what Peel should look like, which seemingly means progress of any kind is being stalled.

But the question is, can that be fixed before it's too late?