- Trinity shopkeeper ‘overwhelmed’ by support of community.
- She has lost thousands of pounds in income because of major roadworks outside shop.
- Islanders have rallied round to support her following JEP story about her plight.
- See the results of our online poll below.
A TRINITY shopkeeper who claims she has suffered thousands of pounds in lost income because of major roadworks has vowed to keep the business open after dozens of locals rallied to support her.
Last week Edyta Buard, the owner of Le Shop in Rue ès Picots, said that she was on the brink of closure after seeing profits plummet by 60 per cent since a resurfacing project began in early February.
However, since then she says she has been ‘overwhelmed’ by support from the local community, with Islanders going out of their way to make purchases from her store and to offer help.
‘We have had so many people coming in asking us not to close and giving us words of advice and help,’ she said.
‘We had people coming from quite far away over the weekend, and there were 180 customers on Saturday, which is far better than we’ve had recently.
‘They believe that we need to be here, as we are not only the shop but also a post office, and it has persuaded us to keep going for as long as we can.
‘It will not be easy, though, and we will be reviewing things on a daily basis.’
However, Mrs Buard, who opened the store with her husband Aurelien in November 2013, says she would continue to push for compensation from the States after being told by Transport Minister Eddie Noel that there was no scheme available.
‘We are going to fight this,’ she said. ‘We were told by Jersey Business Venture that we should compile a letter with all the information and figures of money we have lost and send it to Transport and Technical Services to see how they respond, and that’s what we’re going to do.’
However, a poll on the JEP’s website showed that views on such a scheme were mixed. Of the 235 people who took part in the poll, 133 said that she States should pay compensation to businesses affected by roadworks and 102 said that they should not.
Meanwhile, the landlord and landlady of the Trinity Arms, which is on the same road as Le Shop, said that they has also suffered reduced income during the roadworks project.
Terry O’Connell, who runs the Trinity Arms with her husband John, said that the situation had become ‘desperate’.
‘We have definitely seen a hit to our takings over the last six weeks or so,’ she said. ‘You can put up with it for a week or two, but when it stretches for longer, it makes things very difficult.
‘We are set targets by Liberation every month and we can’t possibly meet them with the roadworks the way they are.’
According to the traffic information section of the States of Jersey website, the road will be closed from 9.15 am to 6 pm between Monday and Friday and diversions are in place.
The programme to resurface the road between Trinity and Gorey is expected to last all year.
The major road resurfacing project which extends from Trinity to Gorey started in February.
Drivers face weeks of disruption on the road between Durrell wildlife park and Maufant, which will take place between 9.15 am and 6 pm.
The company carrying out the work, Brenwal, are resurfacing the road from the junction of Rue de la Maîtrerie to Rue au Sellier near Trinity Church in a year-long project, which is due to finish next March.
Householders affected by the work have been contacted to discuss access and temporary parking within the closed section.
From Freya Richardson
LOCAL shops are pillars of the community. Necessary to grab a pint of milk when the last drop in the carton is not enough for your cuppa. But according to the report (JEP 20 March), Transport and Technical Services are not doing much to support the Trinity entrepreneurs from closing.
It was an empty shell for years leaving locals buying the paper from the pub and having to post letters at the parish hall. The convenience shop, ‘Le Shoppe’, situated between The Trinity Arms and Durrell, next to a sheltered housing estate and opposite the new first-time buyers houses, would seem to most a thriving business.
However, the recent work being undertaken by TTS to resurface the road between Trinity Church and Gorey has left the owners on the brink of closure. Profits have fallen 60% and on talking to the owners they are losing money every day, leaving uncertainty on whether they can afford to go on. This brings great dismay considering we are only just getting used to having a shop back. The lovely French produce would be greatly missed – there are reports of people driving from St Ouen to buy the famous blue crisps and delicious wines.
The owners understand the work needs to be done but the concern is, with road closure dates ever changing, they are unable to predict an end to their nightmare. Loud disruption and customers unable to reach the shop due to the road being closed are not being helped by the lack of parking outside, also making deliveries difficult.
Sales have declined rapidly since the work began but failings are not from any fault of their own. Unlike larger businesses or franchise it is hard for small businesses to make up profits in the future as they live hand to mouth. The Jersey government should be doing all they can to encourage parish communities and economies to prosper; by putting money into local business it fuels Jersey’s innovation with product diversity, helping environmental sustainability and creating jobs.
I believe it is a disgrace that there is no help available. Compensation should be given for the problems they have caused the business. Two people have already lost their job and if something is not done soon a whole business is in jeopardy.
Why should the hard work of this business go to waste? If you feel the same, go to the JEP online poll (www.jerseyeveningpost.com): ‘Should the States pay compensation to businesses affected by roadworks?’ – Vote Yes.
