Staff at several shop units in Mayfield Terrace, Arbroath, have been left mopping up and counting the cost of flooding after water poured through their ceilings over the weekend.
The shops are being re-roofed as part of a project to remove a first-floor level of hard-to-let Angus Council flats and regenerate what had become a slightly run-down looking area of the town.
Demolishing the flats above the privately-owned shops, and other environmental enhancements, are aimed at creating an improved commercial hub and gateway for this part of Arbroath.
It is understood that a temporary measure to make the exposed floors of the flats wind- and watertight involved installing a layer of impermeable material but that last week’s short-lived but torrential showers had overcome the waterproofing.
The worst-affected properties were the Co-operative store, the Bestway foodstore and the Cliffburn Post Office/newsagents, where staff have been drying out what could be saved and using buckets to catch drips.
The Co-op was forced to close on Sunday and the post office remained closed on Monday, although the shop area was operating more or less as normal.
Postmaster Neil Clark said, “There has been water coming into the shop since the demolition work started in March and the contractors took the slates off the roof it’s just that some times it’s worse than others.
“I have to laugh when I see the contractors’ site notice saying they believe in ‘considerate construction’ because if I didn’t, I think I’d cry.
“This has gradually got worse and, with more heavy rain forecast over the next few days, it’s not going to get any better.”
He added, “The contractors just say the work will be finished in three or four weeks and we’ve had not one word from the council.
“The electrical equipment we need to run the post office has been ruined twice now and Post Office Counters say they won’t replace it again until I can guarantee the premises are watertight, but that could be a month away yet.
“In the meantime I’m having to turn customers away customers who might be buying other things when they are in to use the post office and if the situation goes on for another three or four weeks then many of them will have got into the habit of going elsewhere and my business will have suffered serious damage.”
A council spokeswoman said, “The contractor is investigating and doing whatever is required to alleviate this problem for the Co-op, or any other affected business which reports similar problems.”