A desperate plea for help has been issued by the owner of a beloved seaside shop, Toni Dawson, as she faces the very real possibility of having to close her business due to persistent flooding issues. This heart-wrenching situation has been triggered by a seemingly simple act: the covering of a storm drain with tarmac.
For the past three years, whenever there's a heavy downpour, water gushes from the A78 road and directly into Geraldo's, the shop Toni has lovingly run for over two decades. She shares her concerns, stating, "I'm losing sleep over this. Every time it rains heavily, I worry about walking into a flooded shop."
The problem began after road resurfacing work in late 2021, which covered several storm drains, including one right outside Geraldo's door. Since then, heavy rainfall has caused a large puddle to form on the pavement, with water flowing directly into the shop. Toni highlights that this has happened three times in the last year, and each time, there were no prior flood alerts or warnings.
"Last Tuesday, I arrived to find the shop soaking again," Toni recounts. In a letter to the relevant authorities, she expressed her fear of having to "throw in the towel" on her business.
Staff at Geraldo's now take the proactive step of removing stock from the floor each night and placing sandbags in an attempt to prevent further damage. Toni reached out to Amey, the road maintenance company, but was directed to Transport Scotland. The BBC, upon contacting all parties involved, received a response stating they would work towards resolving the issue.
An Amey spokesperson commented, "We understand the impact of flooding and are committed to ensuring the drainage system functions effectively." Both the council and Transport Scotland confirmed Amey's responsibility for the road.
But here's where it gets controversial: is this just a case of poor planning and oversight, or does it highlight a larger issue with our infrastructure and how we manage extreme weather events? And this is the part most people miss: it's not just about the immediate impact on businesses like Geraldo's, but also the long-term effects on local economies and communities.
What do you think? Should we be doing more to prevent these situations, and if so, what steps can we take? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
