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Poole traders' dismay over roadworks (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Poole traders' dismay over roadworks
7:00pm Monday 25th January 2010
POOLE traders hit by a three-month road closure say they have been left fighting for their livelihoods through “poor planning” by the authorities.
Businesses at the lower end of the High Street have watched takings plummet since gas main replacement work began on January 11.
The work has all but cut off the stretch of road, something the hard-pressed traders have become used to in recent years.
The redevelopment of Old Orchard restricted access to the lower end of the High Street for many months.
Traders are now demanding to know why the gas main was not done at the same time to minimise the impact on them.
Pete Miles, owner of Storm Restaurant, said: “It’s madness to dig it all up for a second time.
“It’s poor planning.”
John Macey, owner of Axent Embroidery, has already seen his business drop off around 50 per cent since the start of the roadworks.
He said: “What are they trying to do to the lower end of the High Street?
“There is no cohesive thinking.
“We have had so much disruption over the past few years.” Town centre manager for Poole Richard Randle-Jones said the work had to be done in stages or emergency vehicles would not have been able to reach that area.
He said: “There is never a convenient time to do this type of work.”
The town centre manager urged people to still visit the shops and restaurants on foot.
He added that businesses were eligible for compensation from Southern Gas Networks if repairs lasted more than four weeks.
Duncan MacDonald, spokesman for Southern Gas, said their payouts were in line with Ofgem guidelines.
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Your Say YourEcho
ben111, Ringwood says...
8:13am Tue 26 Jan 10
wonderway, boscombe says...
8:27am Tue 26 Jan 10
wayneofafcb wrote:Dont worry Poole . Boscombe they dug a hole in precinct in March 2009..... filled it in with concrete in September and comming back next week to dig it up again to actual finnish it will take them till March 2010to the complete work
Walked past there twice, and no one working in early afternoon. Same with the works by New Inn pub. There is no way it should atke more than a fortnight to dig up a road, lay a pipe, and tarmac it again
wonderway, boscombe says...
8:27am Tue 26 Jan 10
wayneofafcb wrote:Dont worry Poole . Boscombe they dug a hole in precinct in March 2009..... filled it in with concrete in September and comming back next week to dig it up again to actual finnish it will take them till March 2010to the complete work
Walked past there twice, and no one working in early afternoon. Same with the works by New Inn pub. There is no way it should atke more than a fortnight to dig up a road, lay a pipe, and tarmac it again
Inner Sanctum, Poole says...
10:09am Tue 26 Jan 10
Start, say, at one of the top 10 hotels in the World, go pass the 3 top rate music venues, then more first class restaurants in one location than in the whole of the rest of the area put together. Plus you can get a proper English breakfast and a paper at 7am.
You pass one empty shop, where one of our 2 florists outgrew the premises, not went bust!
Now you come upon a wide variety of specialist shops dedicated to providing first class service, open 12-18 hours a day in season. We moved here a year ago and have seen a steady increase in trade. No blank looks or “dunno” here. You want that level of goods and services, go to castlepoint!
Once you head up to the Dolphin centre you will notice more and more empty buildings.
Yes we have gas works, but when the season starts at Easter, we will still be in a better place!
sea poole, poole says...
1:32pm Tue 26 Jan 10
ltm, Upton says...
2:41pm Tue 26 Jan 10
Now if Inner Sanctum is to be believed, we should cancel our holidays in Dubai and venture down the High Street instead.
samsmith, Dorset says...
5:36pm Tue 26 Jan 10
.
"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties." -Harry Truman
Inner Sanctum, Poole says...
10:12am Wed 27 Jan 10
You didn't read my post! I said the old town proper, not the area up from the crossing up. Note I stated the closer you got to the Dolphin centre, the more empty shops, etc.
Holiday in Dubai? Lucky you, if you want to buy a yatch or book a luxury holiday flat, both those services are available in the Old Town.
The problem areas are more central, as raised at the meeting. The one advantage of not being pedestrianised is that the local pubs do not attract the sport-watching, all day drinking and smoking, urinating in alley set.
herne, poole says...
5:59am Thu 28 Jan 10
Inner Sanctum, Poole says...
11:33am Wed 3 Feb 10
ANGRY: Pete Miles, owner of Storm Restaurant, says that business HAS been affected by the roadworks and 'poor planning'
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wayneofafcb, poole says...
7:48am Tue 26 Jan 10