Dear all

In response to several of the comments that have been made (for those who don’t know, I am one of the directors of Sebastian Roche):

1. We are not aloof and reticent: As I’ve mentioned before, if anyone wants to speak to me I’m happy to answer any questions you may have. I’m afraid to say that this forum is not something that we use or refer to. Unlike other local retail businesses, we don’t use it as a marketing tool. However, in view of the level of interest in (and number of objections to) our plans to expand, I accept that maybe we should have kept a closer eye on this forum and responded accordingly, for this apologies

2. Our plans: To all those who are still unclear, we own the leasehold of the shop at No. 63 . The reason for any commercial decision - including the decision to expand - is a matter for that company provided it complies with all relevant legislation. It is clear that a number of you seem very unhappy about our plans. I’m sorry you feel that way but we were entitled, as a company, to buy No.63 in order to expand our business. There was nothing underhand in this and we strongly resent any accusations to the contrary. For those interested, the reasons we are expanding are threefold: a) we need more space – we are currently at full capacity; b) we are looking at employing more staff; and c) as with any company, we hope that it may result in more business which (if this needs to be said) will benefit the company and those it employs.

3. Progress of works: In answer to those who suggest that no progress has been made then either you’ve not looked at the shop recently or you don’t realise the amount of work that is required or how long such work can take. I’m happy to provide a schedule of works for anyone who is so interested. For what it’s worth, to comply with current building regulations, the refit of the shop has involved extensive major works including replacing the flooring from the ground upwards due to dry rot, re-wiring, installing central heating, re-plastering, replacing an internal wall, replacing the ceiling, replacing internal brickwork, to name but a few. It should also be said that the cost of the works required is one of the reasons why, at the time the shop became available to buy, there weren’t too many interested parties. I’m sorry the works are taking longer than some of you would like but we are in the hands of the builders. Weather permitting, we hope to have the works finished before Xmas.

4. Our community involvement: In light of the accusatory and unsupportive tone of some of the postings on this forum I think it is probably time I should put this on record. We contribute extensively to the local community and our very proud to do so. We have been based in this area for 13 years and it is an area we love. We support several local schools for their Xmas and Summer fairs, a number of church events, a kids football team, and various other local community events such as the Blythe Hill Fields festival. In addition, since acquiring No. 63 we have allowed it to be used as a centre to receive donations for a food bank. Ordinarily all of this is not something that we feel we need to highlight but I think it needs to be mentioned. We are committed to this area and this is where we want to grow our business.



Finally, to all those who have posted supportive comments, thank you.