Rob’s hedge stall must come off the wall after 15 years

Robert Staples with the hedge veg stall that had to come off the sea wall and the notice telling him to contact the Environment Department. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0916880)
BEING forced to take his hedge veg box off Rocquaine sea wall has left it vulnerable thieves, said Robert Staples.

For 15 years Mr Staples, 56, has kept the veg stall on the sea wall opposite his house at L’Eree – he has sold vegetables at the roadside for more than 30 years.
The outlet was originally outside his home, but he moved it after a neighbour complained that it obstructed his view as he emerged from his driveway.
‘The other thing was, we don’t get a lot of things pinched off the wall because the box faces all the windows of the house,’ said the landscape gardener.
‘If somebody stops, I can see their registration. I’ve had no complaints since it’s been on the wall.’
Mr Staples said he was shocked when he returned from ormering to find the box had moved.
‘It had been taken off the wall and put in my garden,’ he said. ‘It had an Environment notice put on the side of the box, but it doesn’t look to be an official one. It looks like a photocopy.’
Environment was unable to comment before going to press but said that it would do so within 24 hours. (from thisisguernsey)

Typical States takes 15 years to complain...

this is so jobsworth.have environment got nothing better to do.

I know some boxes are sited in difficult positions BUT he's had his there for 15years ! So what has changed? Jobsworth's attitudes!

I bet now it's been bought to 'light' the Income Tax Department wont be far behind demanding to see how much he owes them from the profit he's been making in the last 15 years!!!!

He is lucky he has had the wall rent free for 15years ...

karma wrote:I bet now it's been bought to 'light' the Income Tax Department wont be far behind demanding to see how much he owes them from the profit he's been making in the last 15 years!!!!

kat wrote:He is lucky he has had the wall rent free for 15years ...

Ha ha!! I bet he didnt think of that when he had his picture put in the paper and then went on to say how much money he is losing

Can you imagine how our island would look if we all put our stuff on seawalls to sell..he should remove it and be thankful for the free use all these years
Me think he might have shot himself in the foot here ! lOl

I have purchased veg from Mr Staples and IMO its the best you can get, its a coast road , its not on a corner so whats the problem. Stop bulling people. Good luck Mr staples

i agree with digger the quality of vedge is excellent.

Digger wrote:I have purchased veg from Mr Staples and IMO its the best you can get, its a coast road , its not on a corner so whats the problem. Stop bulling people. Good luck Mr staples

Is there no problem until a complaint is made? and then authorities have to take action. Often authorities turn a blind eye to small matters that are not causing harm to anyone, but when a complaint is made they have to be seen to be taking action.

kat wrote:Can you imagine how our island would look if we all put our stuff on seawalls to sell..he should remove it and be thankful for the free use all these years
Me think he might have shot himself in the foot here ! lOl

In all honesty, he should just be gratefull that he has been able to do what he has but that is a busy narrow road, like you say, hes not really thought about it and gone straight in the paper and highlighted how he was making good money for 15 years, the tax and insurance could now investigate him and he might end up with a few grand bill, land rent to trade off public land is a few grand a year itself, he wouldnt have had any public liability either if the stall blew in the road and caused an accident.

Theres a few people that grow flowers and veg that make decent undeclared sidelines out of selling produce on the roadside, some dont even grow it themselves, they buy it in.

Oh dear, all the petty little socialist jealousies are come out now.

Well, if im sure if you were making regular money that wasnt being declared for 15 years, the last thing youd do is let everyone know about it in the press, just common sense really

Seeing as even people from here buy from that stall, its popular, it must do on a conservative average £20 a week. Over 15 years thats over 15 grand, which would be a tax and insurance bill for over 4 grand, plus land rent on a kisok is over 4 grand a year as well. Just dont go in the paper and let people know about it

MOLE EXCAVATING wrote:Well, if im sure if you were making regular money that wasnt being declared for 15 years, the last thing youd do is let everyone know about it in the press, just common sense really

Seeing as even people from here buy from that stall, its popular, it must do on a conservative average £20 a week. Over 15 years thats over 15 grand, which would be a tax and insurance bill for over 4 grand, plus land rent on a kisok is over 4 grand a year as well. Just dont go in the paper and let people know about it

Of course, something no one has considered, he may well have declard every penny.

Could have but then wouldnt the states have found out where he was trading from earlier?

MOLE EXCAVATING wrote:Could have but then wouldnt the states have found out where he was trading from earlier?

Check my earlier post, they may very well not have been interested on where he was, or even if he was trading, until they received a complaint. Just a thought.
Let's be fair in the greater scheme of things, who gives a toss if he was trading or not. If his veg has been removed from the wall the world has hardily stopped turning.

plimmerton811 wrote:Let's be fair in the greater scheme of things, who gives a toss if he was trading or not. If his veg has been removed from the wall the world has hardily stopped turning.

Thats the spirit