The owner of an eatery who only found out parking outside her business was being suspended after it happened says it has been restored temporarily.
Parking on Victoria Street is due to be suspended until March 2026 while work is ongoing on the Villiers Square development.
Sarah Jones, owner of Fork It, found the parking outside her business had been suspended only after cones had been laid out, she said neither she nor the other businesses nearby had been consulted.
In an update, Mrs Jones said: “The parking is being SUSPENDED UNTIL MARCH 2026 due to the bus stop on the prom next to Villiers square being removed to allow vehicles into the redevelopment.
“The bus stop facing our shop on Victoria Street is becoming a main bus station so Bus Vannin and DoI have deemed that the road will be too busy for the parking spaces to remain in place.
“NK, BV and Douglas council have been very helpful and have apologised that myself and Mannin Barbershop have not been consulted on any of this!”
She added that the DoI said it was up to the developer which applied for the suspension to contact businesses and it hadn’t checked whether it had been done.
However, Mrs Jones added: “Luckily NK, BV, Douglas council and the planning team have been very understanding of our frustrations and have REINSTATED the parking until they can all get together for a meeting next week to resolve this issue for myself and the other small businesses on the street who will be seriously affected by their decision.”
Closures
While the multi-million pound investment is ongoing, the DoI has agreed to suspend the bus shelters on Loch Promenade, with passengers using the stops on Victoria Street outside Lloyds Bank.
During this period, until the end of March 2026, the DoI has agreed to suspend the parking on Victoria Street, while the zebra crossing will also be closed and temporary traffic lights installed.
The website which outlines the suspensions said that documents for consultation were issued, but it would appear that the businesses affected were not part of that.
One complete, the bus shelter will be reinstated on the Loch Promenade, with the developers incorporating it into the new buildings.
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