Rainbow & Spoon fashion boutique selling women’s clothing, jewellery and accessories has been trading in the city for more than 35 years.
It managed to survive building work needed for a multi-million pound scheme to revamp Frideswide Square in 2015 as well as the Covid lockdown period.
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Now the shop is facing further difficulties after Network Rail contractors Kier rerouted a walkway for pedestrians in July, which means very few people now walk past the shop, or nearby restaurants.
Rainbow & Spoon owner Amanda Suliman-Bell said footfall is down 90 per cent since the walkway was rerouted, and she fears she will have to shut the store if the original walkway is not restored in the near future.
(Image: Andy Ffrench) She has contacted Network Rail, contractors Kier and city and county councillor Susanna Pressel to call for the walkway to be reinstated on the south side of the square.
She said in her email: “I have lost 90 per cent of my footfall since you changed the walkway over on July 1 – with absolutely no warning, no announcement, no hint and zero thought as to how it might impact those businesses on the south side of Frideswide Square – indeed the only side of the square where there are businesses.”
The shop owner added: “A simple solution (reinstating the walkway) would save all our businesses in the run up to Christmas.
“I personally make 50 per cent of my annual turnover in these three months – normally.
“I can see absolutely no reason why this cannot happen – it would just take a bit of thought and the moving of a piece of machinery – the pathway is pretty much there already.
“This is not an impossible request, I know this can be done with a bit of insight and a modicum of compassion.
“You don’t even have to take away the other exit – just open up the south side and give people the option.”
Ms Suliman-Bell told the Oxford Mail that on some days she is not seeing a single customer in the store.
She added: “I can only sell so much online and that’s not the business I am in – this is a community shop.
“If the walkway is not restored I won’t get any footfall.
“It’s never been as bad as this over the last five years – if they don’t reinstate the walkway as soon as possible I won’t be hear after Christmas – that’s very sad after 25 years. I really need customers to come into the shop.”
Uni Food & Wine near Rainbow & Spoon has also complained about a lack of footfall.
Network Rail is investigating Ms Suliman-Bell’s complaint.
The rail infrastructure company said in July that the Botley Road would not reopen as planned at the rail bridge this month because the project has overrun.
It has not yet provided a new timetable for the completion of the work as a review is under way.
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About the author
Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning.
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