The shopkeeper behind the campaign to rip out Huddersfield’s bus gates has put her business up for sale – but it’s not because of the bus gates.
Alisa Devlin, owner of La Fleur on Westgate, has been battling Kirklees Council for more than a year.
She has been leading the Huddersfield Town Centre Action Group’s bid to get the council to do a u-turn on the bus gates, finding herself at loggerheads with councillors.
As the council nears publication of its investigation into the effect of bus gates on trade, Mrs Devlin has put her flower shop up for sale.
But she has revealed it is because she is emigrating to the USA where her husband has secured employment.
Mrs Devlin said she was sure if other business owners would take up the fight in her absence.
She said despite her numerous meetings with the council and submission of evidence to a scrutiny committee, officials had emailed her last month asking her to compile evidence from town centre shopkeepers instead of doing it themselves.
The email reveals the council is collecting reports from businesses until July 25 with a report due four weeks later.
It is thought at least ten more firms have shut since the last council meeting about bus gates in January.
Last year, it was found there was a 22% slump in Saturday shopping levels following the installation of the bus gates.
