Mall blaze: Shopkeepers plead for urgent action
Shop owners at a fire-hit shopping centre say their livelihoods are at risk as the building still has not fully reopened four months after the blaze.
part of craigshill Mall in Livingston was gutted after a fire broke out at the Marmaris chip shop in Livingston in august.
Shopkeepers also said the most vulnerable in the community have been hit hardest as the post office has shut.
they are pressing the owners of the mall to have repairs carried out as a matter of urgency.
Shop owners at a fire-hit mall say they are still waiting, four months after the blaze, for the building to be fully reopened.
part of craigshill Mall in Livingston was gutted after a fire broke out at the Marmaris chip shop in august.
Some shops affected by the blaze have closed down altogether while other businesses are working out of temporary accommodation.
Many say their livelihoods are being affected and people in craigshill are being deprived of vital services.
Shopkeepers are now calling on the mall owners TRI Scotland Limited to take action and get the building repaired so it can be fully reopened.
Karen robertson, who works at Bird’s hair salon, said: “Many of us have been affected, including our salon, the opticians, Boots the chemist and Ladbrokes.
“there is a temporary access at the back but people are not coming.
“Mccoll’s has shut because of the fire and people that worked there were made redundant.
“the post office was also in there so there is now no post office facility in the craigshill area. You have to go to the centre instead. the Mall was a hub in the community so that has been lost and people are worries about job security.”
Sharon Mcpake, manager of the Ladbrokes shop, said she noticed fewer people were using the mall.
She added: “It’s the community I feel for and for the smaller businesses like the bakers and hairdressers.”
arlene cowan was made redundant when Mccoll’s closed sooner than planned following the fire. She said: “I’ll soon be 64 and I’m really struggling to find a new job. I had been hoping to work with RS Mccoll until I retired.
“Business hadn’t been going very well and I believe we would had shut within the year. It was the post office that was keeping us open.
“all the ATMS have been shut so without the post office older people have to travel to the centre to get their pensions and there is nowhere for people to withdraw their money.”
Ian christie of Ian christie and company, who is acting as an assessor for TRI Scotland, said the fire had been more serious than people might have realised but work would soon be getting underway as the tendering process has now been completed.
He said business owners were told they could go to him with enquiries but nobody had been in touch.
He said:“the fire was more serious and the damage more extensive than people perhaps realise, going into the main electrical board in the roof.”
Mr christie added: “We couldn’t get into the chip shop until insurance and forensic investigations had taken place by the owners so that caused delays.”