“I have had to get rid of most of my staff because of this” – Vyne bar and restaurant manager speaks out against forced closure

Hvaing only opened three months ago, Paul Harrison, 40, who co-ownes Vyne Bar and Restaurant at Friargate in Preston with Serena Baxter, says having to take the difficult decision of closing, has cost staff members their job and over half a million in trade. The transforming Ringway and north Friargate development was due to be completed in spring 2023, but with works now halted outside the business, the town is now looking akin to that of a ghost.

A disheartened Paul who also owns Lonely People cocktail bar and In:Libra nightclub, told the Post: “It is costing the business half a million in trade having to close and we spent a quarter of a million just refurbishing. It’s heartbreaking. I have sent some of my staff to work at the cocktail bar but I have had to get rid of two chefs, cleaning staff, a kitchen porter and a general manager.

“It’s like Beirut at the minute. We have no trade access for delivery at any time of the day. Deliveries have been told to park in the council car park and pay the fee to unload otherwise they are ticketed by traffic wardens. Endless issues with waste collection as they can't access the roads so we have mostly been paying for bin collections for them to tell us that they can't access the bins. We want answers from the council as we were informed this would be completed in March – March has been and gone and now we are being told it could be extended until next year.”

He added: “Work started in October last year and it has now grind to a halt. When I asked one of the workmen why this was they said due to paving issues. I am trying to remain positive and keep some blind faith that this will not be the nail in the coffin and that we chose the right area of Preston and we will persevere. We have had zero communication with the council apart from with a transport guy. We can’t even put the furniture outside as people don’t want to be sat in the sun dining looking at all the unfinished building work – it’s an eyesore! and we deserve to be informed of what is going on.”

Asking business owners to bear with them, County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport for Lancashire County Council, said: “The Transforming Friargate North and Ringway scheme fundamentally changes the way we travel in and around Preston city centre and makes it an attractive destination for residents and visitors to enjoy, bringing it up to date with other modern cities. This in turn will drive growth and prosperity right across the city, generating more potential customers for businesses, particularly along the northern end of Friargate. Unfortunately, we simply cannot achieve all of this without creating some temporary disruption, despite our best efforts to minimise it.”

He added: “As is natural for a scheme of this size, there have been some significant challenges we have had to overcome, not least the issues facing construction globally. We really appreciate how patient our business community has been and we ask that you please bear with us while we navigate this final stage of construction. It will be worth it once complete, making Preston city centre an ideal place to work, live, visit and enjoy as a revitalised public space."