Funds wanted: Gail Hewitt and son Glenn want to see Knox Council allocate some funds to their shopping strip. Picture: Rob Carew
A DECADE of neglect has left Scoresby Village burdened with unhygienic public toilets, disorganised parking and poor lighting which makes the area appear unsafe at night.
That's the verdict of village traders who are demanding an urgent rescue of their neighbourhood shopping strip.
Huey's Bakehouse co-owner Gail Hewitt said the area was a forgotten corner of Knox, claiming that in the 13 years she had operated the business, the council had done little there.
She said better lighting and parking restrictions were the biggest issues that needed to be addressed, as well the "grotty" and inaccessible toilets.
"There is no ramp, it's very hard to get in there and they're always grotty. I wouldn't send my best friend in there."
Mrs Hewitt said a lack of lighting in the village was a safety issue. "Nothing's happening here. We were surprised when told that the village wasn't earmarked for anything by the council. We're the main shopping centre in Scoresby."
Mrs Hewitt and several other traders in the village are banding together with new ward councillor Nicole Seymour to secure funding from Knox Council in this year's budget.
Cr Seymour said one of her major concerns was that Scoresby Village had not been recognised as a Neighbourhood Activity Centre in the Melbourne 2030 plan — a blueprint by state government that was written in 2002.
Cr Seymour said she trying to facilitate a meeting early next month between all the traders to discuss the issues.
Mrs Hewitt said unrestricted weekend parking meant that football crowds occupied all available spaces at the expense of business customers.
New parking rules were urgently needed for the area where smaller shops — including hairdressers, discount meat shops and chemist — share a car park with Woolworths and a liquor store.
"It becomes an issue at footy time because when Scoresby play at home, they park here and customers have nowhere to park."
She said the one initiative the council had undertaken had backfired — native trees planted to enhance the car park several years ago were breaking up the surface.
"They're bringing up the concrete and making a great big hump. It's dangerous and people are going to trip over," Mrs Hewitt said.
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