SHOPKEEPERS in Sundon Park are furious with the council for wasting money on ‘frivolities’ such as benches and trees when they desperately need parking and toilets.
The Sundon Park parade is undergoing ‘renewal’ work on its pavements, the public toilets have been knocked down and trees and benches are being put in its place.
The shop owners say they were not consulted about the work and believe it is a waste of money.
Christine Barker, owner of 16-year-old shop Cake Craft said: “It’s going to look very pretty but I am afraid having benches there will create a congregation place for teenagers and yobbos. There’s an off licence so they will buy alcohol then sit on the bench to drink it.
“It’s money better spent on OAP homes that have been closed down.
“While the work was taking place outside our shop there was a lot of upheaval and business was very slack, so we’ve lost business and seeing no benefits afterwards.”
Butcher Graham Ward, who has worked there for five years, said he did not believe there was any need for the paving slabs to be ‘renewed’ as there was nothing wrong with them.
Mr Ward said: “I think they are wasting taxpayers’ money. We need parking not a bench. People won’t sit out there having a sandwich on a main busy road next to a garage.
“We asked for more parking once before and the council said they couldn’t knock the toilets down, but now they have and we are getting a bench instead.”
The shopkeepers all agree that the money would be better spent elsewhere in these difficult economic times.
Strand hair salon owner Michelle Haddrell said: “We believe the council are wasting money and ignoring the fact that much needed parking could be created, instead of installing a park bench and planting some trees.”
A spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said yesterday: “People told us they wanted to see an improvement in the area so we consulted with the Sundon Park shopkeepers and nearby residents, and sent plans to the local businesses, and they told us to go ahead.
“We did suggest some time ago that the shopkeepers allowed us to use some of the land which is owned by them in front of the shops near the Post Office for creating further parking, but they told us they didn’t want this. The toilets were closed because they were in an extremely bad state.”