Chaos for traders as slabs dug up after just 3 weeks

TRADERS have been left fuming after council workmen began digging up a new pavement – just a few weeks after it had been laid.

• WASTE: Christine Robertson has been left with difficultly gaining access to her Portobello High Street shop. Picture: DAN PHILLIPS

Shopkeepers and residents had welcomed the work on Portobello High Street as part of an 800,000 town centre improvement project. But they could not believe it when workers began digging up part of the pavement to prepare for the installation of new street lights. They criticised the "total waste of money", saying it was causing chaos and affecting trade.

Christine Robertson, who runs a wool and needlework shop, said locals could not understand why the work had not been better co-ordinated. She added that many shops had already seen fewer customers due to the ongoing work.

She said: "They finished the pavement three weeks ago. They made quite a mess and messed up the shopfront, but they did make a lovely job in the end.

"Then I came along to open my shop on Tuesday, and they'd dug up the new slabs. It's causing chaos again and it's hard to get into the shop. To me, it is a total waste of money."

The city council is replacing the pavement and streetlights, after receiving money from the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Programme.

It had already completed part of the work before Christmas, and the whole project is due to be finished at the start of April.

The part that has been dug up again stretches across around eight shopfronts. Although the slabs had been laid, the work was not completely finished, as they had not yet been grouted.

Local Labour councillor Maureen Child said: "It's nice to have the investment, but they certainly should have co-ordinated it better. It seems that Portobello is in permanent turmoil. It's deeply disappointing that they have had to dig up the pavement again."

Traders in Portobello have already suffered due to the work to replace Seafield roundabout, which was finally completed last July, six months late. The traffic diversions had a significant effect on business in the High Street.

Her colleague, Councillor Ewan Aitken, said: "After the Seafield roundabout fiasco, Portobello traders have suffered far more than was necessary. This just compounds the error of this administration. They have no idea how to talk to each other.

"This isn't rocket science. It's about people in the same department talking to each other. It's not only a waste of money, it's the hassle it causes people. This is making it much harder for the traders to recover."

A council spokesman said the work would mean big improvements to the area.

He said: "The works to upgrade and improve the main shopping areas of Portobello High Street are well under way and have already made a huge difference to the overall look and feel.

"During the current phase of the project, ducting must first be laid to allow for new street lighting to be installed at a later date. This work is slightly more extensive than first thought and has required a narrow stretch of paving to be re-laid.

"We are sorry for the added inconvenience this has caused.

"We are still aiming to have all works completed by the end of March or the beginning of April."