I own one of the three off-licences in Preston Street, Brighton.

Since work started for the i360 at the bottom of the street I have been losing trade not only in the morning but also at night.

If you carefully look at all the works going on, Preston street is completely blocked out from either side of the seafront. Moreover, the empty spaces people used to hang out are now a building site unusable for skateboarders, passersby and so on. All the skateborders and people going down to the West Pier were once my regulars, they now go elsewhere.

What the council has forced us to do to improve the street has costed me money and it has badly affected trade.

I know my neighbour had to sell for something ridiculous and another shop is suffering as well.

Some of the things we have done include paying for the business improvement district, redecorate all the facades (my bill last year was more than £6,000), pay for the street signs (four years ago I did not have to) and stop selling our strong beers and ciders (for me, a substantial part of my stock).

And what has the council done for us? Gas works, roadworks, pavement works with blocked pedestrian flow and promised a tower, the i360.

These things have increased traffic on the seafront.

To try to help us the council promised us a flower basket for each shop that was never delivered and when you called they would say they were out of stock.

Most shops of my type in other parts of town are thriving because of the mild weather this year and the recovering economy.

I think the council and our local MP should have given us precise dates for these endless works.

They should also have planned a PR campaign for Preston Street because of all the trouble with the works going on.

I’m tired of council people calling me up to pay a bill. If I pay for something I want something back.

I don’t want to pay for nothing any more.

I hope someone will do something about this unsustainable situation at some point.

Alfonso Comitini, Brighton