Market delays 'scaring off traders'

Developer McAulay says there will be no delay in starting work

Guernsey's town market is continuing to lose tenants due to the delays in redeveloping the historic building.

Jimmy Ozanne, who worked on a fruit and vegetable stall in the market for 15 years, is currently setting up his own business.

But he said he did not even consider the market as a home for his new enterprise.

Last week, the main contractor of the St Peter Port project, RG Falla, pulled out, but site developer McAulay Market Building Limited insisted that work would still get under way very shortly.

Mr Ozanne said it was taking too long for things to get done.

Poor communication

He said he could understand why traders like butcher Richard Hall were being forced to pull out.

Mr Ozanne claimed there was a lack of communication between the traders and the developer McAulay.

Town Traders Association president, Deputy John Gollop, said his group was concerned that no definite decision had been made on the main tenants.

He said there no longer seemed to be any drive to complete the project, and the building was deteriorating rapidly.