The village of Prestbury has been under the glare of the national press over recent weeks with footballing superstar residents blamed for the slow death of the commercial hub.

The claim is that while the multi-million pound-earning celebrities were moving into the area, they were not spending their cash locally. The commercial centre – known as the Village – has gradually died and it was all their fault, according to commentators.

The once-beating heart of Prestbury has taken several hits over recent years with many retail units closing down, including the post office, with its cafe and shop, which suddenly and unexpectedly shut – leaving its sign overhead which still reads ‘since 1851’.

But what led to its demise? Was it the fault of the sport stars? And what can be done to bring it back to life?

In a bid to combat this problem two of the most enduring companies in the village have put their heads together to find a way to kick-start the retail centre.

Stella Bosworth, who opened Prestbury Travel in 1983, has lived in the parish for 36 years and said: "There was a lot of activity, lots of shops were open and it was bustling. But it has gone down over the last couple of years.

"There have been quite a number of businesses which have come and gone in the last couple of years. It’s because people perhaps don’t understand business. You really have to know what you are doing.

"People have come into the village assuming, with a romantic idea, ‘let’s open a shop in Prestbury, it’s wealthy so it’s going to do well’. If people with a specific business plan provide what people need and do some research when they open they’ll do better."

Val Bradshaw, boss of Prestbury Flowers, also opened in the early 1980s and added: "Places like the Chocolate Box and the Bollin Cafe were places where people could come to. Basically what we need in the village are retail outlets that people come to – the butchers, the bakers and the candlestick makers.

"We have got to focus on the village and the businesses in the village, not who lives here."

But one thing even business know-how can’t combat is rent. Stella and son James Bosworth, 38, both saw rents rise at the height of the property boom in Prestbury. Prices in rents for the shops reflected the multi-million pound houses which rapidly sprung up.

They believe shops which draw in footfall, such as cafes don’t have the margins to stay afloat, and so rent has to be slashed.

James said: "You have to remember we have just been through the worst recession in living memory."

As with many retail outlets footfall is king. And one thing which used to draw families from all over Macclesfield was the now-closed Ford House, a church-owned community centre.

"When Ford House was open people were coming here to go dancing, do yoga and so on," added Stella.

"When that closed it affected the number of people coming into the village."

And let’s not forget market forces. Both Val and Stella note the effect of the all-too-familiar tale of the supermarket giants squeezing smaller shops out of business.

But is there light at the end of the tunnel? Prestbury Travel reports it’s had its ‘best year for five years’ with the Prestbury shop the best performing in its chain of five – up 30 per cent.

And plans are in the pipeline for a new cafe in the old pharmacy.

Peter Rowley, regional operations director for the Co-op in the north west, added: "We are investing £200,000 on the refurbishment of our Prestbury food store because we genuinely believe there is a demand from local people to be able to shop locally. We are anticipating a 30 per cent uplift in sales at the Prestbury store once work is completed."