South Wales Evening Post - 31 October 2006
Kingsway traders are set to take legal action against Swansea Council over disruption caused by months of roadworks in the area.
Firms have already approached solicitors about the possibility of launching a legal case against the authority.
Brian Brown, of the Mark Jermin Salon, said he knew of three businesses that were taking action, and that more would follow.
"I will be doing it as well," said Mr Brown.
"I am going to see my solicitor and will be sending a letter to Swansea Council.
"Businesses up here have suffered terribly since work started, and we do not think the council has done anywhere near enough to help us.
"We have been pacified by council officers, but nothing helpful has ever materialised.
"Some businesses are really suffering, and I am afraid some might not survive."
Mr Brown said the final straw for many traders came during a weekly meeting with council officers and contractors.
He said: "We go to this meeting every week to discuss ways to improve things, but at the last meeting no-one from Dawnus (the contractors) turned up. We all just walked out.
"We are all suffering so badly, and they could not be bothered to come and meet us or even tell us why they were not there."
Some traders have stopped paying business rates in protest, according to Mr Brown.
He said: "The council offered us a 25 per cent reduction, but that is nowhere near enough to cover the amount of money we have been losing since the roadworks began.
"We were not informed of how big these works would be.
"We have had our electricity cut off three times, and the scheme has cost me thousands of pounds in lost revenue."
Swansea Council has disputed traders' claims that they have lost power three times, and say it has only happened twice.
Dawnus has not commented on the traders' complaints.
A spokesman for the council said: "The council is sympathetic to the concerns of traders in The Kingsway area.
"They have been advised by the authority that they may be eligible to have their business rates payments suspended for a period of time."
