TRAVEL agents who have helped send thousands of people on their dream holiday are being forced to close down ‘due to a lack of investment at a neglected shopping hub’.

Meadway Travel will close its doors for the final time on Friday (June 29) after 38 years of trading and the husband and wife team – Alison and Allan Ashford – have blamed the poor management of the precinct for their decision.

The Tilehurst site has been earmarked for redevelopment for nearly a decade, but the plans to revitalise Meadway Precinct have met a number of pitfalls, forcing several other small businesses to fall by the wayside.

Co-owner Alison, who first started working for Meadway Travel in 1988, says she feels ‘depressed’ every time she arrives for work and is confronted with mountains of rubbish from fly-tippers.

She said: “I am incredibly sad to be leaving this behind. I have probably spent more hours in this precinct than anywhere else in my life and now I don’t ever want to come back.

“We are struggling hugely. I would say our biggest opponent is this precinct. I should not have to be embarrassed to invite people to my place of work.

"People have seen rats and there are eateries around here. It is disgusting.

Reading Chronicle:

“The problem of people dumping their rubbish has been an issue for the last five years, but the bigger issue of the precinct not looking good has been going on for much longer.”

Plans to upgrade the tired precinct were approved by Reading Borough Council in February 2017, but Alison believes there is not enough being done to stop businesses from closing down.

When the decision was made, Jo Lovelock, leader of the council, agreed the lack of investment at the site was having a serious impact on the viability of the precinct, which she described as being in ‘a sorry state’.

Alison is determined to stay in the business of travel and intends to use her loyal following to start fresh from her home in Thatcham.

She added: “When I first came here in 1988 this was a busy thriving community. It has been a really hard two years. The last 12 months have been the hardest in my entire working life.

“We have lots of clients here and the support has been overwhelming. The tears have been flowing. People have said they will follow us wherever we are, and I am will do whatever it takes. Travel is in my blood.”

A spokesman for Landswood Decoy, the managing agent for Meadway Precinct, said: “There has been an issue with fly-tipping in this area. Despite the bins being collected once a week people need to be more responsible.

“We have invested £15,000 into a new CCTV system and we hope this will reduce offending.

“We have been responsible for the last few months and the issue of litter is something we have been very proactive about. We do believe it is getting better.”