TRADERS in the Old Quarter are set to be given a voice. The Old Quarter Association is being reactivated amidst myriad concerns including parking, roadworks and the lack of promotion.

Jonathan Jorgenson has gathered the support of 50 others in the hope of getting the area ‘permanently placed on the map of St Peter Port as a wonderful tourist area’.

‘What I did in the last six months was speak to all the traders and looked at the area and how it used to be – how active it was,’ said Mr Jorgenson.

‘My main aim is to bring the street back to life.’

Ideas put forward by the traders include a closed season on roadworks in the summer months and the provision of parking for shoppers and traders.

‘Parking is the main problem and always will be until something is done,’ said Steve Knight, from Pine Studio, who added that the association would give traders one voice that was more likely to get heard.

Mr Jorgenson, who owns Padds, said that more tourists, especially from the cruise ships, needed to be attracted to the Old Quarter.

A minibus taking them around historic parts of the Town could be an answer.

‘With the newly elected government, we believe now is the time to change things once and for all. No more talking with lost promises on how the Old Quarter is to be upgraded,’ he said.

Victoria Brazier-Creagh, from Victoria’s fine jewellers, said that there should be no roadworks or scaffolding erected in the area between May and August.

‘It’s unattractive to the tourists and doesn’t benefit the Town at all,’ she said.

High rents and a feeling by the smaller shops that they are treated differently from larger stores are two other issues the association will aim to address.

It will use diplomacy to get its message across.

‘I will have an effect, since if I don’t get listened to, I will start shouting,’ said Mr Jorgenson.

‘The vision is to bring the old history to the present, bring that Old Quarter back to life so it’s a wonderful place for tourists and a wonderful place for shopping.’

Mill Street is currently closed for work to install a main drain next to the former Tudor House. The work is being split to avoid the peak tourist season.

The project will last 10 weeks, but the road will be reinstated by the end of June and work will start again in September and continue in October.

Contractors will also be repairing the pavements, with pedestrian access being maintained at all times.

The association will be holding its first meeting this evening in the Carol Hinds Room at Les Cotils from 7.30.

‘The Chamber of Commerce retail sub-committee is recognised as the voice for island retailers and has a mandate that specifically includes a focus on St Peter Port as the central shopping destination,’ said Mr Jorgenson, who sits on the committee.

‘I will be able to bring the concerns of the retailers to their attention.’