Closures and concerns: How Cowes is responding to the street works

SEVERAL hospitality venues in Thompson Avenue Cowes have closed temporarily, brought forward holidays or closed permanently in response to the ‘devastating’ latest stage of the Cowes Streetscape Masterplan works.

Traders and concerned residents got together with two Island Ward councillors on Monday morning this week, Cr Ron Bauer and Cr Tracey Bell, to express their concerns, chief of which was “a lack of communication” – they say they weren’t aware of the impact of the works.

And they still don’t know when they are due to be completed.

“We will be taking their concerns back to the council,” said Cr Bauer.

A spokesperson for one of the organisers of the meeting said the owners of the Grenache Wine Bar had brought forward their closure date as a result of the works, Isola Di Capri which usually closed in the dead of winter, in August, had opted to take their annual leave now, Kim’s Bakehouse was another opting for temporary closure while others are battling on, trying to communicate with patrons about access to their venues.

“It’s not just the traders. The residents, especially the elderly, can’t believe how the council has gone about it. They’re having trouble getting to the shops and are frankly a bit scared about coming into town,” said one of the organisers.

“Lack of communication and the impact are the main concerns,” she said.

Some say they’ve been told the works are due to be completed before MotoGP weekend, October 23-25 but council has confirmed the date on their Engage Bass Coast website, “late June-early July” is still the target date “weather permitting”.