Roadworks Rigmarole on Rutland - Surprise Road Cones, No Parking Signs Greet Shop Owners This Morning

They survived the cycleway and covid, will they survive the cones?

Well, who would know as no information has been received by shop owners who arrived at work to a row of road cones and no parking signs outside their shops this morning.

Local Community Board member, Ali Jones, was contacted by a Rutland Street shop owner earlier today about the surprise road cones, and has spent most of the day trying to find out what is going on? 

“After a call to HEB the roading contractor, who couldn’t tell me anything except they would have started today but for a sick  roadcrew member, and a call to CCC customer service who tried above and beyond to get some more information - we still don't know what is happening,” says Jones.

She also contacted CCC’s head of transport, Lynette Ellis, who Jones says to her credit said she would get staff to speak to the business owners and have a report for the elected members (Papanui Innes Central Community Board).

“A phone call to the shop owners and an email to the local elected members would do,” says Ali Jones. “Nothing has eventuated yet though.”

The cones were removed by one business owner as they wanted customers to have access today but HEB have since put them back.

Ali Jones has now been told (unofficially) that there is a scheduled pavement renewal or replacement that will see access to the shops affected until July 19th.But what kind of access issues and what mitigations are to be put in place, she nor the shop owners have no idea.

“This work should not start until the shop owners and residents around the area know what is happening, why and when. It’s not rocket science, this is communication 101.”

As of 4.55pm today, shop owners had not been contacted by CCC or the contractor, with details of the work.