A supermarket boss said that his shop had not been able to receive any deliveries in the eight days since work started on repairing and rebuilding Western Road.
Co-op store manager Matt Parnell also said that he was concerned that when the current work was finished, the red route would mean the delivery problems would continue.
Mr Parnell, who runs the Western Road Co-op, at the Hove end of the street, wrote to members of Brighton and Hove City Council today (Tuesday 6 October).
He wrote: “Dear Councillors, This is an urgent message to say that my store has been unable to receive all our store deliveries since the Western Road repairs closure started on Monday 28 September.
“We are therefore at risk of running out of certain supplies that local people rely on.
“I understand this closure is for 48 days. I further understand that there is a proposed red route for Western Road following the above closure.
“I am very concerned that, with what I have already experienced and with the proposed red route on Western Road, my delivery supplies to my store will be permanently at risk and my customers will not be able to easily shop for the supplies they are used to.”
The Labour deputy leader of the council, Jacob Taylor, said that he had asked officials to liaise with the Co-op to work out how to resolve the problem.
Councillor Taylor said that the rebuilding of the road was essential and traders had been among those requesting this vital work.
Councillor Taylor replied to Mr Parnell: “Thanks for your letter and for your work in running the Co-op.
“The current closures for resurfacing are essential because the road is in such poor condition and at risk of possible collapse.
“The works are absolutely required and would be happening even if the red route were not.
“I realise they are disruptive and the council teams work hard to put in the best mitigations possible.
“I will flag your note now to relevant officers, to see if they can help. But to be clear – these closures had to happen for essential road works, and would not go away if the red route were abandoned.”
Moronic council again. No concerns for the locals as usual. Let’s hope the councillors don’t have to shop there eh!! Putting themselves first without any second thoughts.
This co op is another one of the traders that will moan but obviously will not shut down. They directly are a cause for the red route because they block the bus stop instead of parking in York road, a few meters around the corner from the shop door, which is still accessable.
Bin trucks seem to be able to reverse down there,
So sympathy is limited on this one.
The new loading bay should be at the front of the Co-Op. It is crazy having a bus stop long enough for four buses to park. You don’t have loading bays on hills. Health and safety. Waterloo Street are going to love the council planning to remove PAID FOR parking bays in the street for a LOADING bill on frickin’ hillside!
So if you can’t unload on a hill, how do they restock the co op at 5 ways… Such a low IQ comment. Loading should be on side streets during the daytime, not blocking main roads in the city centre in the middle of the day.
Why can’t they take delivery in the evenings? Because it’s more convenient to block the road in the day time and because they literally couldn’t give a monkeys
Shout out to the car-hating morons in the Transport Dept (hello Mr Prior!) and clueless Bricycles fanboy, cllr Muten
Those same car haters who are spending millions rebuilding the road…
Those same car haters that are getting rid of the grid lock on this stretch of road.
Maybe its time to grow up and stop being so narcissistic about the subject.
Go to waitrose or use vehicles suitable for a 200 year old city, roads are craps moan. they are fixing the crap roads moan,moan moan
Go to Waitrose its not that far
They could get deliveries from the bottom of York road?
Moaning doesn’t get roads fixed, the red lines will make most places accessable, unlike today with shop keepers filling their doorways with smokers and pavements like legoland.
A complete clusterfluck by the two twelve year olds running the project. The Co Op should sue.
The Co-op isn’t as far as I am aware an independent trader or franchisee and presumably they had notice of this work so not much chance of insolvency.
My sympathy is tempered by this and as stated by others there is a Tesco and Waitrose or Taj in relative close proximity.
1) The road needs proper rebuilding 2) the works were announced months ago 3) It is pretty obvious that a road rebuild is going to be far more disruptive than shoving another layer of tarmac on top of the already pitted & cracked surface 4) The co-op should have prepared contingency plans for deliveries during this time 5) The red route is a separate issue and delivery spaces will be provided for these even if t means the delivery drivers have to walk a bit with trolleys.
We really have become a nation of helpless, hapless “poor me” people with out any clue of how to work round changes such as these. God help us if there is ever another war!
The Council could have done this work in far shorter sections employing overnight and weekend working and using a decent contractor. There is no reason under the sun that it had to be this damaging and disruptive. Now they are hitting water mains ffs!
If you do it in small sections then it will take longer and diversions will still be needed for traffic so doesn’t really solve much. And doing it overnight really isn’t feasible for a big job like this and would be hellish for people living nearby trying to lseep.
Lol, what are you on about. Imagine having diggers smashing away in the middle of the night in a residential area, so a few self entitled Tracy’s can swing by in their car and grab a kebab in the day time… What planet are you on.
Tesco store has a dedicated loading bay just around the corner hardly 20 feet away. It has always been there, the delivery driver’s have never used it. Always blocking outside the store. Why have they never used this loading bay
Cyclists still continue to use the remaining narrow fenced off pavements in droves this week… why make a new red route for them if they don’t care about safety of others lol