Walking home from work on Monday evening, I was looking into the new Otters store, located on the high street. The owner has completed a super job bringing back to life the former Natwest Bank building.
Part of the redevelopment included work outside the store and the raising of the pavement in front of the store, I assume to improve wheel chair access. This has created a drop in pavement levels to the left of the store. A rather ugly DIY wooden planter has been fitted here, the end of the planter extends out just below knee level. I walked into this fell over and ended laying flat on top of the planter.
At first I did not realise that I had hurt myself, it was only a few minutes later did I feel hurt and shocked.
I notified Leo the owner of Otters, from his manner I could tell he was not overly concerned even when I expressed my concern that things could have been far worse if it had been a elderly person who had suffered the same accident.
I had to take the next day off work (unpaid) A friend of mine visiting the store next day said she spoke to Leo and told him I was hurt and she says he was not interested and in fact quite rude.
Someone had placed a sand bag own the planter, this concerned me, I had expected the area would be made safer while Otters decided how they were going to make improvements to the planter.
The planter is made from wood painted dark and is in a unlit area.
I decided to write to Rutland County Council planning, as I had been told by a Rutland County Councillor there was originally concerns voiced from a planning officer about this planter.
I copied Otters into my email,
Wednesdays response from Leo the owner of Otters is very sad and disappointing. banned from his store, so there will be no photographs showing off the inside of his fine new store.
Hi Martin,
Picked up your email you copied us in on this morning. Obviously just confirming that I don’t expect to see you in Otters tomorrow as suggested above.
I as you have suggested this morning will communicate with the relevant party at the council moving forward in this matter and therefore don’t see there is any benefit in direct contact with us.
Kind regards,
Leo
If you are walking past and take a look at the new store or even customers who are leaving and chatting after a nice lunch, watch out for the hazard to your right. the planter looks as if its going to stay as it has now been planted with a few little plants.
As for me the pain is less and I have returned to work after 3 days off and wait for the bruises to vanish. Happy it was not worse.
Below some of the bruising on my chest
Bruised knees
