The effect of the LTN on local business
There are over 50 local businesses within the Hanover and Tarner area plus an unspecified number of freelance and self-employed workers. Not one of them was consulted about this scheme before the decision to go ahead, and no councillor to date has approached any of them to discuss the effects of the LTN on local business. Almost all of them will be adversely affected, to the extent that some may cease trading.
There seems to be little or no understanding of the practicalities of running a business by BHCC or our Green Party councillors. Local business relies on deliveries, clear routes in and out of the area, access for customers, efficient use of time etc. BHCC and individual councillors are making the rather unhelpful suggestion that traders should be using e-cargo bikes instead of lorries and vans, presumably they have never had to deliver barrels of beer or transport sheets of plasterboard.
We’ve spoken to several local businesses and you can see their responses below. All of the people we’ve spoken to were against the scheme, though some were worried about stating their views publicly. From all the conversations we had, we didn’t find a single business person that thought it was a good idea!
Some of the many local businesses objecting to the LTN:
Some of the concerns of local businesses:
- Much longer routes in and out of the area for owners, clients and suppliers
- Reduced footfall for businesses dealing directly with the public
- Restricted access for deliveries. Large lorries being directed down small side roads
- Lack of proper consultation from BHCC and Green councillors
Arka Original Funerals - an eco friendly Hanover business
Sarah Clarke-Kent and Hannah Bywaters of Arka Original Funerals
Hannah Bywaters and Sarah Clarke-Kent are funeral directors at Arka Original Funerals on Southover Street. They were aware of the proposal for an LTN, but not familiar with the details or the new routes through Hanover. They were surprised at the length of the journeys needed to get in and out of the area. No one from the council has approached them to discuss their concerns. They are not in favour of the plan.
The company already keeps their business as eco friendly as possible, they do as little driving as they can and choose e-bikes for trips around Brighton whenever practical. However, managing funerals means that they need to drive on a regular basis. They point out that people have real lives.
Clients visit the premises and funeral parties gather and leave from here, sometime 4-5 cars at a time. They often arrive from outside the area and it’s unlikely that they would use a bus service when they are vulnerable and on their way to a funeral.
The LTN will make journeys to and from Arka much longer and more complicated. Hannah and Sarah feel that the new routes will cause a level of confusion and be hard to explain to clients, it won’t be helpful to people who are grieving.
The business also has regular deliveries on large pallet trucks that will find it extremely difficult and time consuming to manoeuvre through the new narrow routes. This is a common problem with other businesses in the area.
Arka are in the process of expanding within Hanover and they are concerned that, if it becomes much more difficult to get to them, their business may suffer.
They don’t feel that Hanover is a high traffic area and they think the LTN is unnecessary. Their advice to the council; ‘Consulting with businesses is critical with something like this. Pause, back up and start again’.
The Post Office - a key local business under threat
Sean Sherman - postmaster at Islingword Road Post Office
Sean Sherman runs the Post Office on Islingword road, providing many vital services to the Hanover community. He thinks that the Low Traffic Neigbourhood scheme is ill conceived and that the consultation was an afterthought. His business will be directly threatened by the LTN.
Sean has 7-8 collections and deliveries each day, comprising of 20-30 large sacks, plus deliveries of food and stock for the shop. These all need to be carried in and out of the building, so vehicles need to park outside. The loading bay that he relies on is currently marked up as a parklet on the BHCC plans. The top of Islingword Road and most other routes in and out of the area will be blocked off. He has deliveries and collections by armoured car that have to be within 20 metres walking distance of the building, or he will be in breach of his PO contract. He also needs space and access for lorries to make larger deliveries. All of these will be difficult with an LTN in place.
Many of Sean’s clients are elderly and rely on the Post Office to collect pensions, withdraw cash and shop for staples. They will often arrive by car and need to park nearby. Some of Sean’s more vulnerable customers rely on the Post Office and it’s staff for a friendly chat and community support.
Sean has not spoken to a single customer that is favour of the LTN and wonders why the council think they have the authority to impose one. If the Post Office is no longer viable, and loses its contract, the shop won’t have enough footfall to remain in business independently and will close, along with the loss of 10 jobs. He also points out that local businesses are only just beginning to recover from Covid lockdowns and don’t need more things to worry about. He is not against greener spaces and less traffic but cannot see the logic in this LTN.
Local convenience stores - difficult deliveries and lower footfall
Bahvin Patel - Guyatri News
Bhav runs Guyatri News, a local convenience store that has supported locals throughout the Covid pandemic, stocking items that were unavailable elsewhere. He’s become a central part of the Hanover community. He is not happy with the LTN, he sees it as divisive and unnecessary. Apart from his regular local clients, an important part of his business is from passing builders and traders. He worries that this will disappear if there is no easy route through the area. He is also concerned about his regular deliveries.
Mr and Mrs Naeem - Food and Wine Store
Mr and Mrs Naeem own the Food and Wine Store in Islingword Road, it’s been a family business for over 35 years and is a well known part of Hanover life. They don’t think they have been properly consulted about the LTN.
They received a leaflet about the public council meetings when two of the three drop ins had already happened, and they were unable to attend the third.
An important part of their business is from passing clients, who will drop in for two minutes to pick up a quick snack or drink. Customer numbers will be greatly reduced if the LTN is introduced.
They have frequent deliveries, sometimes in large trucks, that need to get in and out of the area. The route to their shop will become much longer and more difficult to navigate. They often need to go in and out of the area by car several times a day to pick up stock from the local Cash and Carry. They are not happy about the coming changes. The LTN will have an effect on their business and they think they should have been consulted properly.
O'Flinn Pharmacy - access problems for a vital community service
Valentine Ebuzoeme - proprietor of O'Flinn Pharmacy
Valentine Ebuzoeme has been the proprietor of O’Flinn Pharmacy in Hanover for over two years. He hasn’t received any information or leaflets about the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme, and no one from the council has contacted him to ask his opinion. He was not aware of the BHCC consultation. He thinks that Hanover already has low traffic volumes and doesn’t need intervention. He feels that the LTN will be very damaging, both to his business and to his clients.
Valentine provides essential services to many locals and to people throughout the Brighton area. These include the 10,000 plus prescriptions a month he prepares with his team, in-house medical services for locals with heart and other conditions and a drug delivery service that operates from Woodingdean to Shoreham.
Many of his clients are elderly or disabled and have to use a car to get to the pharmacy, some of them in their 80s and 90s. They rely on O’Flinn, currently an accessible local business, for medication, treatment and advice.
The business receives an average of 6-10 deliveries a day, these will now have to find their way via long and unclear routes through Hanover, and will then struggle to park outside. Valentine also makes 50-60 direct medication deliveries each day, some to clients who are bedbound and rely on drivers delivering directly to the patient in their home. This depends on clear access to the pharmacy and nearby parking. This is a vital community service which offers no financial compensation to the business, it would be disastrous if it was threatened by a badly planned LTN.
Under the current plan, the top of Islingword Road will be closed off, with some parking bays removed and replaced by a ‘parklet’. Access to the pharmacy will be much more difficult, both for the business and for the clients. Valentine thinks the scheme has been badly thought out and will cause more harm than good.