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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that big events aren't always good for locals?

40 replies

GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 08:58

Glasgow and Scotland generally are hosting the UCI Cycling World Championships which is great. I'm very happy for us to host events and invite people to visit our city, particularly as we aren't nearly so touristy as Edinburgh. However is it too much to ask that locals are allowed to go about their business with minimal disruption and is it acceptable that businesses have been forced to shut their stores because they can't gain access? This has happened to a business that I'm very fond of and they aren't the only ones. They don't even know if they'll be able to gain access tomorrow though they were promised it today.

It's shit for the tourists too who may want to frequent local businesses like that and can't.

AIBU to think that businesses and locals should not lose out when a city is hosting an event?

OP posts:
elderflowerandpomelo · 04/08/2023 09:00

Our local park has been destroyed by 2 events, w no benefit to locals at all, just long lasting downside.
I reckon for a sporting event a part day closure is ok, but they shd get compensation from the organisers if it’s for longer. Locals just have to put up w it!

Original poster
GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:04

Just to add. I love when we host events. I appreciate tourists. I love seeing athletes and others from around the world when I'm just going about shopping. I love people visiting us. It's the bloody organisers/council I have issues with. Local businesses should not be made to suffer. Keeping them open so that locals and tourists alike can use and help them profit should be a priority.

OP posts:
Lincslady53 · 04/08/2023 09:14

My seaside town holds a large flower show every August. It used to be run by the council, but 30 odd years ago they pulled out and it was in danger of collapsing. A consortium of local business owners, after much consultation, took over running the show, on a not for profit basis. Part of the deal was that the flowershow company would take over the maintenance of the park all year. Now there are complaints that half the park is closed off for a month fir the Flowershow. But all the council 'run' parks in the town are overgrown and run down, but this park is kept immaculate. The show has gone from strength to strength and brings in thousands for the local economy. So yes, big events may be a bit of an inconvenience. But a well run event can help the towns economy.

Middleagedmeangirls · 04/08/2023 09:17

i live in a seaside town that regularly hosts huge events. They are absolutely awful for local residents but fantastic for local businesses. Swings and roundabouts.

Dulra · 04/08/2023 09:18

How long is the event on for? I personally feel big events like this although cause an element of disruption they do benefit the city in the long run, if businesses are forced to close for a day or two they should be compensated for that surely

Original poster
GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:20

It's 11 days so that's a lot of disruption.

OP posts:
Dulra · 04/08/2023 09:21

Middleagedmeangirls · 04/08/2023 09:17

i live in a seaside town that regularly hosts huge events. They are absolutely awful for local residents but fantastic for local businesses. Swings and roundabouts.

Yep, I live near a summer concert venue which has about 8 big concerts every summer and yes the days of the concert there are road closures, traffic issues can't get access to local park where the event is but the revenue to the local economy and businesses is worth it. It is only a few days every year. One of the concerts this year was cancelled last minute and the local businesses said that cancellation cost them 10s of thousands in revenue

Original poster
GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:21

And yes they should be generously compensated but I'm not holding my breath.

OP posts:
Dulra · 04/08/2023 09:22

GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:20

It's 11 days so that's a lot of disruption.

Well if a business has to close for 11 days they should be getting compensated, are you sure they are not?

LovingLalo · 04/08/2023 09:26

If a business has to close for 11 days they will definitely be compensated by the council. No ifs or buts. Not sure what the problem is? Is it because you can't use the business for 11 days?

Original poster
GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:27

At the moment no, they're not. No sign of compensation. They were told that they could gain access to their store and have . They waited three hours, no sign of any access and there's still no word on if they'll have the same problem tomorrow or for the rest of the event. There's no communication from GCC.

It isn't just about them either. It's the fact that helping locals and supporting small businesses is not a priority when it should be. Keeping businesses going and helping locals ti get around their own city should be as much of a priority as putting the event on. Of course there'll be disruption but it should be minimised for everyone's benefit including the tourists.

OP posts:
Original poster
GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:30

If a business has to close for 11 days they will definitely be compensated by the council. No ifs or buts. Not sure what the problem is? Is it because you can't use the business for 11 days?

The problem is that the business(And others) have been told that they could open their store. That wasn't the case today. They let them wait for hours only to have to give up because there was still no sign of them being allowed to open. They still don't know what's happening tomorrow or the next day. The council seems to be changing their minds about road closures by the hour.

OP posts:
Plump82 · 04/08/2023 09:30

GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:27

At the moment no, they're not. No sign of compensation. They were told that they could gain access to their store and have . They waited three hours, no sign of any access and there's still no word on if they'll have the same problem tomorrow or for the rest of the event. There's no communication from GCC.

It isn't just about them either. It's the fact that helping locals and supporting small businesses is not a priority when it should be. Keeping businesses going and helping locals ti get around their own city should be as much of a priority as putting the event on. Of course there'll be disruption but it should be minimised for everyone's benefit including the tourists.

I know what business you're talking about as saw it on Instagram. If they can't get access to their shop that's such a lot of wasted fresh produce that will need to be binned.
I think it's great for the city but if a business is promised access then that's crap.

Saz12 · 04/08/2023 09:32

My work has to shut 3 days next week for an event - roads are closed. No compensation. In the run up, travel has been impacted by misleadingly-signposted road closures for works to be done in preparation.
Its an event Id ordinarily be quite pleased was comjbg our way, but the routes it takes make some villages inaccessible in for the duration (except overnight).
Then there are events starting and ending in a very over-visited tourist spot ..

Iwasafool · 04/08/2023 09:36

Dulra · 04/08/2023 09:21

Yep, I live near a summer concert venue which has about 8 big concerts every summer and yes the days of the concert there are road closures, traffic issues can't get access to local park where the event is but the revenue to the local economy and businesses is worth it. It is only a few days every year. One of the concerts this year was cancelled last minute and the local businesses said that cancellation cost them 10s of thousands in revenue

Show quote history

I live in a seaside town and we host a big event every summer. The council spend tens of thousands of pounds on this event and yes local businesses benefit but they don't want to contribute to the costs so it falls on all council tax payers and quite frankly I resent paying as it is nothing but an inconvenience to me. I wouldn't bother about the inconvenience really if I wasn't paying for the privilege.

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 04/08/2023 09:38

@elderflowerandpomelo our local park too! Are you perhaps in the land of seven hills?

cruffinsmuffin · 04/08/2023 09:41

I'm near a popular seaside proms - absolute nightmare every summer. Roads closed, proms shut up and mangled, local businesses suffer (regularly raised on social media sites) etc etc.

The organisers don't want to take responsibility, they've had their license renewed for years into the future and it's a genuine pain.

Can't get to visit family because the roads are closed and the permit system is a mess, some of the older locals struggle with the pass system, some of our fave local shops really struggle as the town is so busy (gridlocked and accidents every time!) so regular customers can't get in to be able to spend the £££ they normally do.

Whilst the concert and acts are fab, it's just not been set up properly with consideration for the local area very well.

Brushesarescary · 04/08/2023 09:53

The road closures preparing for the cycling championships seem to have been badly handled as well.

We were visiting Loch Lomond and then travelling up to Inverness with our caravan and the route was closed for resurfacing.

Not all the closures had been entered into the traffic management systems and it was impossible to get anywhere North towards Stirling- we had to go back to almost Glasgow. Signs for diversions were none existent.

I was glad that we are home before the event started as the potential for disruption looked huge and the information was vague at best- signage suggested some roads would be closed for days.

Bernadinetta · 04/08/2023 09:57

elderflowerandpomelo · 04/08/2023 09:00

Our local park has been destroyed by 2 events, w no benefit to locals at all, just long lasting downside.
I reckon for a sporting event a part day closure is ok, but they shd get compensation from the organisers if it’s for longer. Locals just have to put up w it!

Tramlines?

elderflowerandpomelo · 04/08/2023 10:03

@Fooshufflewickjbannanapants seven siblings?!? Yes if so…

EhrlicheFrau · 04/08/2023 10:05

I agree with you! Our area will, at some point in the not too distant future, be hosting quite a big event - while the event itself with undoubtedly be exciting I am already thinking of all the chaos it will (potentially) create, especially for some people in our community.

ditalini · 04/08/2023 10:06

Comms from GCC are always crap. They squander so much good will just by not being on the ball with updating locals in a timely manner, and when social media is easy to update and widely used there really is no excuse.

Their websites are always unclear and frequently out of date.

Mochudubh · 04/08/2023 10:16

YANBU

The area I grew up in is virtually marooned for a cycle race. It's peak tourist season in a very picturesque part of Scotland. It's a massive pain in the arse for locals and tourists alike. This has been happening very year for over a decade.

I used to avoid going to visit elderly DM when the event was on but if she'd been taken ill that week there's a fair chance I wouldn't have been able to get there without a lot of hassle (it's a 2 hour drive as it is).

One year someone threw a load of tacks on the road which I don't condone but totally understand the frustration. It's disgusting that locals can't go about their daily business for the sake of a load of MAMILS. Especially in emergency situations like the vet in a PP.

DingDongDenny · 04/08/2023 11:13

I live in one of the areas where the roads are shut for long periods of time. We literally can't leave the house or if we are out, go home and these are residential streets. We did wonder why they were resurfacing all the roads earlier this year when they weren't that bad - compared to most. Now we know