South Shields market traders complain about demolition dust.
An angry South Shields market trader claims demolition work is damaging his business – after his stall was covered in dust.
Robbie Ridley says the council has broken a pledge that flattening Wouldhave House would not affect traders in the Market Place, just yards away.
Early yesterday afternoon, amid gusting winds, dust from the gable end of the building spread to Ridley’s stall, on which he sells clothes and bric-a-brac. The stall was covered with a fine layer of dust – despite plastic protective covers around the former office and retail complex.
Soon after the incident, a fed-up Ridley packed up for the day. “They should not have been carrying out work in those winds. You could smell and taste the dust and it covered the stall. This is hitting our trade.”
A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: “The council apologises for any distress this has caused to the gentleman. “The contractors have put in place stringent health and safety measures to minimise the risk of any materials or dust escaping from the demolition site. “These include the use of protective screens and spraying the dust with water, to help prevent the particles leaving the area.”
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