It’s not win-win

The Environment Agency’s compensation scheme, if one could call it that, is dictated by the Water Resources Act – a bureaucratic, limiting piece of legislation that is more suited to compensating losses sustained during emergency repairs, than the major regeneration works currently taking place in Pier Road.

The Water Resources Act requires us to continually ‘mitigate any potential losses’, which may include cutting working hours, and/or, (dread to think about it) reducing staff numbers if trade falls. Ultimately, we are facing potential job losses and business closures and we are quiet rightly concerned.

It’s a far cry from the ‘win-win, bonus-earning’ situation described by Mr Wakeman.

There’s a certain irony in a regeneration scheme that costs £14m, but yet puts the very livelihoods of those it seeks to improve out of a job or out of business.

Mr Wakeman is also wrong when he says the work will be done outside of summer trading hours. Work in Pier Road will not be completed until June, 2014, with Arun Parade not due to finish until August, 2014.

Mr Wakeman states that: “The corner opposite the Nelson has been amended at our request.” This is incorrect. We expressed concerns at the draft plan stage when it was revealed that this section of the road would be narrowed by over 4m, thereby making it impossible to ensure road safety for all. The plans were amended to address this problem.

A more comprehensive reply is available on the Pier Road Diaries, www.pierroad.co.uk

We’re grateful to Arun District Council for providing a free parking area and for the wonderful support from the council, Environment Agency and Littlehampton Harbour Board. But, ultimately, we need our wonderful, loyal customers to support us during this challenging period, so we can all look forward to sharing in the excellent benefits this scheme will ultimately deliver.

Paul Power

Coastal Cycles/Dutch Bike Shop

Pier Road

Littlehampton