R. Rettschlag, Dennis Goodall, Michelle Halsall, Helen Ridd, Danny Gan, Judith Suto and Joyce Brann are just a handful of shopkeepers and residents who say works on the new Coles supermarket are affecting parking in the area. 85029 Picture: MEAGAN ROGERS
By MELISSA MEEHAN
SHOPKEEPERS in Spring Square are facing an uncertain future as works on a brand new Coles Supermarket affect the parking in the area.
The Hallam shopping centre car park has been severely depleted during the works, leaving many customers with no option but to drive off when they can’t find a car park.
Shopkeepers are excited about the development, but say the City of Casey has let them down in terms of promises made in line with the works.
They claim the council held a number of meetings 12 months ago, promising shop owners they would ensure parking was not an issue during the works.
Spring Square Delicatessen and Café owner Judith Suto said the works were affecting her business in a big way, with regular customers coming in only one or two days a week instead of their usual five, apologising because they couldn’t get a car park.
“They come in and say ‘Sorry I wasn’t here yesterday, I couldn’t get a car park’,” she said.
“They do two or three laps and have to go somewhere else, some of my customers only get a 30-minute lunch break.”
She said her staff parked in nearby streets just to ensure as much parking as possible for customers was available.
“Someone said the works will finish in June, but we’ve heard nothing official,” she said.
“Each time one of us contacts the council they say they will call back and they never do.”
Ms Suto said she hoped business would boom when Coles finally opened, but wasn’t sure whether many could last that long.
Danny Gan from Discount Chemist Hallam Pharmacy said his customers had complained about the lack of parking in recent weeks and was worried they would start to go elsewhere if the parking situation wasn’t fixed.
The Hallam Senior Citizens Club had also been affected by the works, losing 50 per cent of their already limited car parks.
Vice-president Harold Diazeck said the council had promised the lost car parks would be replaced before works on the building started and said many of its members were forced to park in nearby streets and walk to the centre.
“It is a ridiculous situation,” Mr Diazeck said.
“We’ve got members who can’t walk very far having to walk long distances; I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave up and went home.”
The parking has also affected local residents whose local streets have been clogged up by staff from Spring Square Shopping Centre.
Mr R. Rettschlag (known as R) said Alexander Street was too narrow for the number of staff cars parking on the side of the road.
“At the moment it’s mayhem,” Mr Rettschlag said.
“It’s difficult for buses to get through – I’m concerned that the road is far too narrow for double parking along the street.”
