Traders impacted by Gloucester Docks problems

Gloucester Brewery saw footfall drop 40 per cent over the Easter weekend which is believed to be due to the issues affecting Gloucester Docks.

Dockside businesses are extremely concerned about the impact the shallow depths are having which is preventing boats from mooring and hurting trade.

A public meeting was held at Gloucester Brewery Warehouse 4 last night to discuss the high levels of silt and other issues boaters and traders are facing.

Tough questions and criticism was levelled at the Canal and River Trust representative. And people spoke out about the impact the problem is having on them.
Among those was Gloucester Brewery representatives who told the meeting that April is the first month in 18 months where I haven’t seen positive growth in trade.

“Over Easter weekend we saw footfall down 40%. My tills are down a good 20%,” Hugh Joslyn said.

“That is really not ideal. If that carries on through the summer, as a business that breaks even, I cannot take 20% down on the tills.

“I can’t take 40% down on the footfall. I’m paying full rent, full service charges. If I have a 20% revenue drop, I’m running at a loss.”

On Toast owner David Purchase, who organised and chaired the public meeting, said there are currently two empty businesses in the Docks.

And asked who will want to take on the leases of those properties if the issue is not resolved.

The Canal and River Trust says they will do everything they can to try and solve the problem within the financial and environmental constraints they face.

A spokesperson for the trust said they have invested more than £1m in the last financial year to improve navigation in the Docks.

During the public meeting there were comments from people who said the present situation at Gloucester Docks was due to years of neglect and not just the unprecedented levels of silt pumped into the canal last year from the River Severn.

The trust said it needed to do this to supply Bristol Water during last year’s drought and conceded that they had to override their silt sensors to comply with their contractual obligations with the water firm.