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The Courier
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Owners of family-run Arbroath shop say roadworks will be 'death of town centre'
The owners of a family-run shop in Arbroath say ongoing roadworks will be the 'death of the town centre'. Helen Anderson, who runs At Home Interiors and Accessories with husband Norman and daughter Lesley Firth, says the active travel roadworks are placing their business 'at risk'. Helen says the work, part of the A Place for Everyone scheme, is having a 'serious impact' on trade as people are being put off travelling into the town. Helen – whose Market Place shop has been a fixture of the town for more than 25 years – told The Courier: 'These roadworks will be the death of the town centre. 'Independent businesses have been hung out to dry, others in the town such as Rosie's Boutique have closed in recent months 'We used to get lots of customers from out of town, from Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Carnoustie, Montrose and even Laurencekirk, but no one comes into Arbroath anymore because of the roadworks.' There have been months of disruption in Arbroath due to the £14 million project. The cones went down in April 2024 but the work is not expected to be complete until September this year. Helen said: 'We know lots of people who are boycotting the town centre altogether because of the roadworks, it's putting people off. 'There has been no regard for the people who run independent businesses in the town centre. 'It is very upsetting. After 26 years in the town centre, to be in this position is heartbreaking.' Helen also says the new retail park and accompanying traffic lights mean people are avoiding the town altogether. She added: 'We are very grateful for the support we've had from our loyal customer base over the years. 'But have Angus Council really considered the impact all this would have on local businesses, and the impact it has on passing trade? 'We don't know how much longer we can keep going like this.' An Angus Council spokesperson said: 'We appreciate that there would always be some disruption as a result of the construction phase. 'Council officers have been actively engaging with businesses, whilst doing our utmost to manage the construction works and traffic management to minimise disruption.' The Courier reported on Wednesday that spending plans for landscaping along the active travel route will be decided in secret this week.
The Courier
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Arbroath Place for Everyone landscaping spend to be decided in secret
Spending plans for landscaping along Arbroath's new £14 million active travel route will be decided in secret this week. The mile-long accessible Place For Everyone town centre scheme is approaching the final stages of construction. Sustrans and Angus Council are due to complete the 77-week project this September. On Thursday, Angus Council policy and resources committee will consider a shopping list for shrubs and trees. But the committee will hear the item in private. The authority confirmed all costs for the Arbroath planting scheme are contained within the project's overall budget. A Place for Everyone will change the face of Burnside Drive by reducing the dual carriageway to a single lane in each direction. New cycle paths are already complete on sections of the scheme. Designs for the scheme show trees along its length and attractive planted areas at pedestrian spaces such as Brothock Bridge and Guthrie Port. A Place for Everyone is among nine committee reports councillors will consider in private. Only one matter – UK Shared Prosperity Fund spending proposals – will be heard in public. The other 'green paper' reports include possible changes to the running of Montrose and Arbroath golf courses. Local bus service contract extensions are also on the agenda. A council spokesperson said: 'Reports seeking approval of a procurement route and going to tender are usually exempt as they will contain commercially sensitive information. 'Such information is usually exempt as it may be liable to give a commercial advantage…in respect of property, goods or services – whether that advantage is against the authority or other persons.' The decision over whether an item should be heard in private rests with the relevant council committee. The authority recently reversed plans to consider a report into Raac in Monifieth houses in private. It released options to deal with 25 affected council houses in Milton Street after a backlash from people living there. Consultation will begin this week over the plan to fit replacement timber flat roofs on the affected council homes. Meanwhile, a £500,000 Raac remedial pilot programme involving five empty Dundee council houses was approved in public by city councillors this week. The Courier's Trapped by Raac campaign aims to help those affected by the crisis and have the issue debated by government.
