An Edinburgh restaurant owner is fuming after workmen dumped piles of concrete rubble outside the door of the eatery with no notice.
Virginie Brouard, owner of Le Di-Vin on Randolph Place since 2003, told how the mound of smashed slabs appeared overnight on Monday as is already affecting business. After surviving through Covid and recently forking out thousands of pounds to manage the trade waste during the bin strikes, the business owner was shocked to discover the huge pile directly outside the diner.
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The industrial waste appears to be from the re-surfacing works currently taking place on nearby Queensferry Street but the business received no correspondence to notify them that the paving would be dumped outside the restaurant.
Virginie has contacted the council and was told the authority will move it. But she believes even more rubble has been dumped on Randolph Place since she spoke to officials on Wednesday.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Virginie fumed: "This is what appeared at the front of my restaurant and bar yesterday morning with no notice. Queensferry Street is getting re-surfaced, and we knew about that but I didn't know they would use Randolph Place to store their rubble.
"It has already had an impact on my business we have been quiet since yesterday. All my customers at lunch time at the restaurant are retired, older folks. Now a taxi cannot stop to drop them at the restaurant.
She added: "A fire engine, or an ambulance would also struggle."
Virginie is unsure why the contractors decided to dump it directly outside her restaurant where it will affect access - instead of somewhere more suitable.
She questioned: "Why on earth are they affecting a business when surely they could store their rubble somewhere else? The middle parking space in Melville Place would have worked there is also lots of space at Johnnie Walker around the corner although they would not dump their rubbish at Johnnie Walker!"
An exasperated Virginie branded the mess as another hit for her business that has been affected by roadworks and parking restrictions due to ongoing construction. She explained: "Also Charlotte Square has been empty since May 11, while we cannot park our cars but still have to pay to be a permit holder."
Despite only being dumped on Monday, the off-putting sight of rubble has already had an impact on the number of customers the diner usually has during the week.
Virginie said: "The manager told me we were dead quiet since yesterday, that's all I needed. I have reported to the council but nothing makes sense these days.
"Charlotte Square is empty, residents are also getting so annoyed but as a business owner, the impact for me is huge and after Covid restrictions, bin strikes, the city is looking so run down.
"My main concern here is the road work. We are not talking about a small pile of gravel. It looks like a house has been bombed in front of us!"
The owner contacted the council who said they would have the concrete mess moved but apparently more has been dumped since it was reported. She said: "They promised me to move rubble today, but I just checked and it’s getting worse. Rubble is now all along the street."
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After the tough time hospitality has had over the last couple of years with Covid restrictions and now energy prices going through the roof, many of the well-loved restaurant's customers offered words of support.
One customer, Julie Camm said: "Unbelievable! Won’t stop me coming though." While another exclaimed: "That’s absolutely disgraceful!" Lucy Paul added: "So sorry to see this!"
A Council spokesperson confirmed that a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order is in place in order to allow the use of a fenced off section of Randolph Place as part of the resurfacing of Queensferry Street.
However, Council officers have asked contractors to remove rubble from directly outside the restaurant.
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