11/04/2012 BBC Channel Islands News

Confidence in Jersey's retail trade at its lowest since the recession

began, but the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive.

On the election campaign trail. With one week until polling day, we

And we will continue to see April showers and did well turn colder

into the weekend. I'll have all the Confidence in Jersey's retail

industry is at its lowest since the recession began, according to a

government survey of nearly 500 businesses. It found more shops and

businesses in the island have seen a drop in trade over the past three

months. More than half of the businesses that responded said

profits were down on the end of last year. In particular, the mood

in the retail and wholesale industry is low, and there's

concern about job opportunities and the future. Rachel Royce reports.

The survey is not based on hard facts but opinions. It asks

managing directors for their opinions of their current situation

compared with the previous three months and their expectation for

the next three months. David Warr from the Jersey Chamber of Commerce

admits it makes alarming reading, especially for the retail sector.

think it is very tough. We are down 25 % done the previous quarter.

That is as bad as it gets. However, there is a glimmer of hope and that

the finance industry is more positive than they were last autumn.

That has to be good news. But where one business faces difficulty,

another finds opportunity. Rupert Langley Smith is an entrepreneur

selling his high visibility cyclying wear on the internet. He

set up the business with his brother four years ago and thanks

to its unique inbuilt light emitting logo, it is flying. It is

doing fantastically well. We are growing over 100 % year-on-year.

There is a boom in the cycling and running markets. The online sales

are going crazy at the moment. It is exciting times. Gloom amongst

businesses in the current uncertain world climate comes as no surprise.

The question is which businesses will rise to the occasion and

flourish and how many will go by the wayside and whether the state

could do more to help those struggling. Today, the state didn't

want to comment on the business trends survey.

Well, we've been asking for your thoughts on this story all day. Syd

asks on Facebook, "What are our state members doing about it? They

brought in GST and now will not give a cost of living increase".

Gregor asks if landlords can be persuaded to lower the rents during

a period of hardship as they will not ultimately benefit if a shop

trading in a building they own goes out of business. Silvia says, "If I

knew I could get parked, I would go to town to shop rather than doing

it all on-line. Also, by shopping on-line I'm not faced with a shop

assistant who has no sense of customer service". And Sonia says,

"No-one has any money. If you buy local, you get charged GST. If you

buy online, you get it cheaper and tax free". Thank you for those and

keep them coming. The details of how to get in touch with us are on

your screen now. Islanders are being reassured that

patient safety is a top priority at Jersey's General Hospital. It's

after a 75-year-old man died there following a routine operation.

Joseph Vasse had a hernia operation then developed an infection and

died of multiple organ failure. His family blame the surgeon and the

hospital. An inquest last week recorded a narrative verdict.

general hospital, like every healthcare organisation, is

committed to improving safety and quality of patient care. That is

something that we have been doing well for the last few years in

Jersey. Many changes have been made and the hospital is as safe as any

hospital anyway in the UK. Meanwhile, hospital bosses in

Jersey have confirmed an internal investigation has cleared a staff

member who is currently being investigated by the General Medical

Council. The employee, who has not been named, is still at work but

with restrictions placed on them by the GMC.

Guernsey Police have confirmed that the post mortem carried out on

Robert Blakemore found that he died as result of being close to a small

explosion. The 46-year-old died late on Friday night at a property

in Fort George. Guernsey's town and airport fire

services could be set to merge. Fire chiefs say despite a

difference in skills, bringing the town and airport firefighters

together is one of the moves being considered as part of an ongoing

efficiency drive. Jersey politicians are being urged

not to replace the sports facilities at Fort Regent with

housing, tourism and entertainment projects. The group representing

users of the leisure centre argue islanders don't want private sector

businesses to run it. It has cut thousands of users every day of the

year. We wish to see that continue. It is the only Napoleonic fort with

a sports facility that should remain in public ownership. We

would not wanted to go to private partnerships where eventually it

will be the taxpayer will be subsidising any private

partnerships. Later in spotlight, combating

marine crime. New tactics to stop gangs of Eastern Europeans.

A week today, Guernsey will be going to the polls to vote in a new

government. Hustings are being held across the island to give people a

chance to hear from the candidates. One of the most populated areas is

St Peter Port. It's divided into two electoral districts, St Peter

Port South and St Peter Port North. Mike Wilkins has been out and about

in St Peter Port North to find out what matters to people in the

geographically smallest electoral district.

Many of you will recognise this as one of the busiest roads in

Guernsey and it divides to electoral districts. On that side

is St Peter Port South and his son Peter Port Gnoll. This is the

smallest electoral district but one of the most heaviest -- heavily

populated. One of the jewels in the crown of St Peter Port North is

this garden which is an oasis of calm in the centre of town. We have

got so many here who is involved in the town partnership. You been in

power for almost a decade. What kind of issues have been the main

points for residence? We have suffered like the economy in

England with shops and retail. Generally, we have been successful

because of the number of tourists. That has been positive. How would

you describe the parish has a place to live? It is a great place to

live because you are close to the capital of the island. The biggest

issue his the car. The space to put that for will box is very limited.

Certainly, a lot of residence have found it quite difficult and that

is something the island has to face up to. St Peter Port North is not

just about manicured lawns and shops and flats. This whole area

contains farms and housing estates like this one. It's gone find out

what people think. You do get a lot of speeding. We could do with speed

humps in the estate. They do go fast. I would say tidiness. People

don't look after their own little spaces. We need to help crime

stoppers and get more police officers. We've heard from the

residents and an outgoing politician but we have to remember

that businesses are crucial. Let's go into this shop and find out what

people have been saying. You help run this place. What kind of issues

have people been discussing? A lot of people aren't happy. A lot of

things could be done to change the area. We were promised a cinema but

that was a few years ago. They are full of promises but when they get

to where they are, nothing happens. They don't really interact with the

public. Thank you very much. We've heard a whole range of issues in St

Peter Port North but the overriding message is that people just want to

be listened to. More showers to come over the next

few days and slightly colder. Some sunshine over the next two days but

one of two showers could be heavy. Tomorrow afternoon, the show has

become isolated so a better chance of some sunshine. Later in the week,

we draw in a northerly winds. The area of low pressure to the south-

west of Norway does not move very far but all the while, the college

is trickling through Britain, crossing the Channel and moving

towards us. -- the cold air. Tonight, the showers will stay with

us. Expect the showers until dawn tomorrow morning. Temperatures of

Six degrees of seven degrees Celsius. Tomorrow, will have

showers and the morning but by the afternoon, the showers will

disappear so we should see some decent spells of sunshine in the

second half of the day. For the coastal waters forecast, the

Windsor knot westerly. Showers with a generally good visibility. For

the surface, the surf will be cleaner than it has been but still

on the chubby side. -- choppy. The outlook, we will see slightly

colder air. By Saturday, we have 10 degrees and sanded down to a

degrees. Friday should be bright Finally, they say they don't go to

too many of these, but firefighters had to free two small children who

accidentally locked themselves into a bedroom in Gorey this morning.

Two-year-old twins Alfie and Dylan, became upset when they couldn't

unlock the door. They got a bit of a shock when they were rescued by