Council ‘apologises’ after failing to give shops warning
Business owners hit out as they face fresh blow
BUSINESSES in Mount Florida were dealt another blow – after roadworks shut off Cathcart Road from customers. Glasgow City Council started work on a section of the main road between Prospecthill Road and Battlefield Road last week, with carriageway works scheduled for the street from July 23 to July 30.
However, businesses say that they were not told about this in sufficient time.
One Cathcart Road business told the Glasgow Times: “I was given 16 hours’ notice of the work beginning – 10 of which were through the night – nowhere near enough time to plan anything.
“We are not in dispute that the road needs to be done, I’m fine with that. It’s the amount of time we were told in advance.
“It’s payday weekend, I should be mobbed and I’ll be lucky if I’ve had a few customers – at this point, it’s costing us more to remain open with the very few customers that do come in, than to just stay closed during the works.”
Businesses in the area have been hit hard in the past few months, with only a few cafes opening and other essential work continuing.
When lockdown was partially lifted and shops were given the green light to open, many saw this as a relief.
But with the roadworks now limiting the amount of customers on the street, businesses are asking if it is even worth opening their doors.
The carriageway works have also blocked parking from the main street, with the nearest spaces available around a quarter of a mile away.
They said: “I was told that the works were also part of a plan to redo the roads for the European Championships, which have been re-scheduled until next year.
“Couldn’t they have waited a few months until we all got back up and running, or even have done the work while we were originally shut?”
Another business owner told the Glasgow Times: “The past few months have been really difficult.
“To be told that we can finally open and then to have this happen is such a blow.
“It feels like there is no support or consideration for small businesses when things like this happen.
“It has been difficult enough for us to get on our feet after the coronavirus lockdown.”
There was also concern over the deliveries that had been planned by businesses during the unexpected works.
The business owner said: “Shops and cafes all up the street have had deliveries organised for this week and it is now too late to change or cancel these.
“If the trucks can’t get in, money has been wasted on stock that can’t be sold.
A council spokeswoman said: “The work being carried out on this section of Cathcart Road between Prospecthill Road and Battlefield Road is part of a programme of necessary road works that have been held up during the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, due to an oversight, the usual seven-day notice normally given to affected residents, businesses and companies did not occur.
“We apologise to everyone that they only received 24 hours’ warning of this scheduled work which began Thursday, July 23.
“This particular section of carriageway is too narrow to accommodate traffic during these roadworks.
“It is closed for safety reasons and diversions are in place. The work is expected to be complete by Wednesday, July 29.
“We regret the lack of notice and associated inconvenience.”