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Tram works force bar to close until return of passing trade

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Published Date: 23 June 2008
A CITY centre bar has closed temporarily due to the tram works.
The Grosvenor closed its doors last week after deciding it couldn't afford to stay open while Shandwick Place was closed off.

A source close to the pub said the business had been left with little option.

"Because of the works it quite literally became cheaper for them to close than to open, it's as simple as that," they said.

"The tram works have destroyed them, there is no passing trade whatsoever, no-one getting off buses, which means hardly anyone going in."

A spokeswoman for Spirit Group, who own the pub – which was formerly the Rat and Parrot – said: "Due to severe roadworks, resulting in no transport access and limited pedestrian access to that area of the city, Spirit Group elected to close the Grosvenor pub on a temporary basis.

"Spirit Group is hopeful that the Grosvenor will reopen on July 16, following the completion of the roadworks."

This news follows Leith Walk's World of Gas announcing it was to cease trading as a result of the lack of custom caused by work on the £512 million tram line.





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  • Last Updated: 23 June 2008 11:13 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh transport plans
 
1

Bob 2,

23/06/2008 12:45:19
Yip Edinburgh's OPEN FOR BUSINESS, only trouble is No one is a coming.

And they've got it all again, once they start laying the Track.
2

,

23/06/2008 12:57:38
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

alex paterson,

edinburgh 23/06/2008 13:15:48
The Grosvenor is a dump and wont be missed,there are plenty more boozers.
4

Big Fi,

edinburgh 23/06/2008 13:20:36
They should be taking advantage of the road closure by putting tables in the street. Shandwick place is wonderful at the moment without cars - it would be a great place to sit and have a drink.
5

controls,

23/06/2008 13:20:50
2# 3# small minded idiots.
6

Les insolences du Frère Untel,

23/06/2008 13:21:14
Fine. This is fine.
7

Hibernia,

23/06/2008 13:53:31
All we need now is Jenny McArthur to comment.
8

Annoyingboi,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 13:54:12
#2 & 3 - You are missing the point completely you insular people. Whether the bar is desirable or not is irrelevant. The fact remains that another Edinburgh business has closed its doors because of the huge white elephant being built in front of our eyes. This tram project is ONE BIG JOKE!
9

Les insolences du Frère Untel,

23/06/2008 13:59:39
8 Omlette , Eggs etc.
10

alex paterson,

edinburgh 23/06/2008 14:11:14
#8
I do understand what it means,and i dont want the trams either,the Grosvenor is still a dump,bet you drink their.
11

alex paterson,

edinburgh 23/06/2008 14:12:43
#5
So the Grosvenor is your local,its a dump.
12

alex patersons English teacher,

23/06/2008 14:29:11
10

your trying to hard again alix.

bet you drink their ... what,toilet duck?
dont keep us in suspense.

tram works, an oxomoron surely.
13

Ron S,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 15:23:59
Will they still be paying their busines rates?
14

Stan1,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 15:29:28
I'm sorry but ONE PUB and ONE GAS FIRE shop close and suddenly Edinburgh is falling apart? I'd be quite interested to see how many pubs shut down anually anyway and how many shops close whether a tram line is being built or not. I walk up and down Leith Walk every day and as far as I am concerned there is the same footfall on that street every day so World of Gas I am afraid to say don't have much reason to blame the trams. I have also been up and down Shandwick place lots and have lived in Edinburgh on and off for over 12 years and I have never heard of the Grosvenor. I am sure some businesses are annoyed by the tram works, but all it is doing is stopping traffic not people. It's not as if people drive to the pub and if they can't park on that street just go home again is it? And as for the fact buses don't stop outside it anymore therefore no one is coming in? How lazy are your customers? Have all your regulars lost thier legs because of the tram works as well? This is all nonsense, I think the trams will be a great (and useful) feature in Edinburgh and look forward to purchasing my ticket for a quicker journey into town. And if all the moaners out there who don't want them decide they will boycott them then all it means is I will have more room to enjoy the ride...:)
15

bill inch,

EDINBURGH 23/06/2008 16:23:37
stan 1 i've a feeling it will be more off than on when youfind out the fare.
16

Bored,

23/06/2008 16:24:49
I don't think it is just the Grosvenor nor the trams. Lately I have noticed that a large number of bars in the town have been almost empty on a Friday and Saturday night. The fact is that people are just not going out as much these days.
17

,

23/06/2008 17:09:02
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
18

Arfur,

23/06/2008 17:25:07
another bad news story for the £500million replacement of the 22 bus.

where is that tool Jenny. like to see how she defends this one.
19

wolfette,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 18:09:10
by the time the trams arrive, half the small businesses and cafes in various parts of town will be gone. I've seen it happen in other cities who have recently had tram projects.

20

Thomas the Tank,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 18:37:26
Interesting link to a story all about a vastly expensive (100% over budget) TramCar line built in the wrong place for the wrong reasons, serving too small (12%, compared to Embra's estimated 6%) a percentage of the population. Its 26,200 passengers a day is still less than Embra's pie-in-the-sky 11 million in its first year. Now losing money hand over fist and costing twice as much to run as an equivalent bus service. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_574014.html
21

The Geniune Mario Antionette,

23/06/2008 18:41:17
Pubs will use any excuse for losing trade. It was the public smoking ban, now it's trams etc to blame.
22

The Geniune Mario Antionette,

23/06/2008 18:44:32
#19 - Fully agree. The SNP sold the public down the river & left businesses & the like high & dry & up the creek without a paddle - all because they couldn't keep their promise.
23

Capitalistic,

Edin 23/06/2008 18:57:17
Can't believe I'm saying this, but, now the tram work is well under way I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like and if it will be worth all the bother. Darkened room for me, me thinks
24

Euan,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 18:59:43
The morons who have forced this insane project on us all should hang their mud-filled heads in shame.

It is an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE that yet ANOTHER decent local business has had the rug pulled from underneath it due to the trams AND NO-ONE SEEMS TO GIVE A DAMN.

The fact is, is that it is still NOT TOO LATE to SCRAP this foolhardy scheme.

We desperately need to cut out losses on the trams. The project needs to be halted with immediate effect with all remaining funds used to compensate IN FULL all those businesses which have suffered tremendous financial hardship due to the construction of this money-gulping monstrosity.

The rest of the funds should be used to put Edinburgh's road network back to how it was 20 years ago.

25

Andrew,

23/06/2008 20:02:51
Obviously NOT a truly regular boozer or the would get there on way or another!!! Is that the one with all the fag-ends on the pavement?
26

Julian.,

edinburgh 23/06/2008 23:01:17
#26,

And this is obviously the ideal platform to rouse up support for an end to this scheme. I mean you've only called for an end to the scheme about a hundred times over a period of about two years. It's early days yet.

ALEX PATERSON,

I defend you mate. You're perfectly entitled to call this pub a dump and, it doesn't necessarily make you pro-tram.

In my opinion the tramworks are causing loss of business and each one should open it's accounts to scrutiny by TIE in order to claim compensation. But to say the loss of business is an argument to stop the scheme is stupid. If you accept that argument then nothing would ever get built, mantained or repaired.
27

Plantagenet,

23/06/2008 23:06:49
I seem to have missed the bit a while back when someone decided it would be a good idea to introduce trams to our city. What was the lead up to it? whose idea was it? what were the original financial projections and what are they now? Has the project got out of control financially? and is there no turning back even if it turns out to be financial ruin? Were no lessons learned from the Holyrood building debacle? Would someone tell me what the benefits are as opposed to improving the bus service instead. Was the decision to go ahead taken behind closed doors with scant regard for the backlash of public opinion. As far as I can see the e-mails against the project far outnumber the pro-tram supporters.
28

Julian.,

edinburgh 24/06/2008 01:59:37
#29.

This website attracts complainers and cynics like flies.
29

Taxidave,

Edinburgh 25/06/2008 04:03:56
I was looking forward to the trams until I found out they are going to have the same paint job as the buses! This would have been a great chance to give Edinburgh a further Identity with trams which could look beautiful-maybe maroon with bits of chrome or brass to give them a modern but classic look-what do we get-longer buses!!

Dave

 

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