Guernsey Press

Plant centre told for second time it must stop trading

LE FRIQUET Plant Centre has been advised again to stop trading in non-essential goods.

Published
Archive picture of Blue Diamond Group managing director Alan Roper in Le Friquet Plant Centre. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 27903449)

The centre had been allowed to sell only essential products, such as pet food. But on Friday it opened to give islanders the chance to buy many more products online, which would then be delivered by a third party courier.

But shortly after the Guernsey Press published a story about the situation, Health & Social Care president Heidi Soulsby said the business had been advised to stop.

She posted online that the people of Guernsey were living in very difficult times.

‘Whilst I’d love to allow more businesses to make money, right now we absolutely have to be guided by Public Health advice,’ she said.

‘More businesses operating, more people moving about, more traffic. This at a time we are telling people to stay at home.’

The Guernsey Press was unable to contact the garden centre yesterday and its website, with order details, was still live. But many islanders have commented that their orders had been cancelled.

The company had been using Paul Davis Freight Services, which is part of Channel Island Lines, which ceased trading on Sunday.

Deputy Soulsby said it was vital islanders kept to the spirit of the rules.

‘History shows (Spanish flu pandemic onwards) that those nations who support a strict regime early on bounce back faster economically than those who don’t,’ she said.

‘I know it’s difficult though, I really do. We are approaching the end of a 14-day lockdown on Wednesday. We may be able to loosen things up then. However, it absolutely has to be based on Public Health advice. Whatever we do has to be based on what is best for our people, not business.’

The garden centre had noted that it was not putting anyone at any more risk than when people ordered gardening goods from elsewhere online. Last week, it also stated that it was operating its delivery service with the approval of the States.

Deputy Soulsby said they had to balance the risks.

‘Once we get the data as to how things are going in terms of community seeding we can decide whether we can relax next week,’ she wrote on Sunday.

‘I get the frustration. I love gardening myself and grow my own too.’

A press conference is being held today at noon, where it will be discussed whether any changes will be made to the current lockdown restrictions.