Dean Russell meets with John Lewis Chairman
Dame Sharon White, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, came to Watford to meet with Mayor Peter Taylor, managing director of Watford Borough Council Donna Nolan and Dean Russell MP to discuss the closure of the Watford store.
Having handed in petition against the closure of John Lewis & Partnership in Watford, I was pleased to be able to meet with Dame Sharon alongside the Mayor.
Whilst I appreciated her giving an in-depth response as to why the shop has decided to close, I reiterated to her the importance of John Lewis to our town.
One of my priorities remains ensuring that staff are well-supported during this stressful time. Dame Sharon reaffirmed that each staff member would get a £3,000 unique retraining fund package towards a recognised qualification or course.
The partnership will also provide a £1million community investment fund to be shared amongst the areas in which their shops are closing.
The well-being of our high street and businesses is of paramount importance to me. I will continue to promote investment into Watford and whilst the loss of John Lewis us a blow, our town will recover from this."
