BUSINESSES along Commercial Buildings have claimed they lost thousands in bank holiday weekend trade after parking was suspended more than 24 hours before work was carried out.
No-parking cones were placed along both sides of the street – from Normans down to the English Harbour – at lunchtime on Saturday, although the reason for the suspension – an inspection of drains – did not take place until bank holiday Monday.
This – along with a lack of advance warning – has angered businesses in the area, who say the government needs to improve its communications with traders.
Former chief fire officer Mark James, who supports his wife Jane’s ceramics workshop, said: “I saw the cones were piled up mid-way through last week and didn’t think too much of it. Normally, when there is work near our shop in Gorey, you see signs telling you that parking is suspended, and you can then plan accordingly.
Jane rang the parking control office and was told it was due to drainage clearing on Monday and because officers weren’t working on Sunday, the cones were going out on Saturday instead
MARK JAMES OF JANE JAMES CERAMICS
“But here, there was no signage whatsoever.
“By Saturday lunchtime, the cones were out and there was no parking allowed. Usually, a Saturday on a bank holiday weekend is a good one for us but we only had three customers that day.
“Jane rang the parking control office and was told it was due to drainage clearing on Monday and because officers weren’t working on Sunday, the cones were going out on Saturday instead. She was told that if people parked there on Saturday, then no action would be taken but obviously customers weren’t to know that.”
He added: “A few brave people did park there, but it was otherwise very quiet, and nowhere near the level of trade expected.”
Asked what he would like the government to do in future, he said: “I would ask them to please communicate what you’re doing and consider the impact on businesses. If we’d have known, we could have anticipated and understood what was going on.
“It didn’t make sense to put the cones out on Saturday and then have nothing happening all day; they could have at least put them out that evening. It was ridiculous and frustrating.”
Pat Robson owns the Harbour Gallery nearby.
She said: “We had no warning about the lack of parking, and it came as a shock. I arrived on Saturday early afternoon and the cones were already out. I stopped by a few traders on my walk to the gallery and not one of them knew about the work.
“We were trading Saturday, Sunday and Monday but our takings compared to a normal bank holiday weekend were miniscule.”
She continued: “We are a charity which supports local artists who all missed out on potential sales. Hardly anyone came in; one lady did come into the shop looking for a specific print and her poor husband was driving up and down Commercial Buildings for the whole time she was with us.
“If we’d had known about this, we – along with the other shops – would have discussed with the Infrastructure and Environment Department about whether we could have moved some cones that were in front of our shops and put them back at the end of the day on Saturday and Sunday. The situation was ludicrous.”
Mrs Robson said she had written to St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft, who told her he would talk to Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan about it, and she had also emailed the department, who also said they would look into this.
Both traders took to social media to share their frustration over the weekend. Mr James estimates that his wife’s business lost more than £1,000 over the weekend, with Mrs Robson reckoning that the Harbour Gallery was up to £3,000 out of pocket.
In a statement to the JEP, the I&E Department said: “We understand the inconvenience caused by the recent roadworks near Commercial Buildings and appreciate the public’s patience during essential maintenance.
“The works were undertaken to address a critical issue with the main sewer infrastructure in the area. A thorough inspection was required to assess the extent of the damage.
“A full survey was conducted to ensure the correct liner can be installed with minimal disruption to the public and local businesses in the future.
“We are committed to maintaining infrastructure, while works are completed efficiently and safely as possible. The road is currently open.”
