The fuel fiasco has led to some local hotels and B&Bs losing bookings in a continuation of the financial and emotional toll the pandemic has taken on Salisbury’s businesses. 

The Milford Hall Hotel and Spa on Castle Street had two cancellations for next week due to the guests unable to get fuel in Gloucester, and Peartree Apartments mentioned concerns among their staff.

A local 5-Star AirBnB host, Kate Tutty, had fuel-related cancellations this week from a Wales-based client and a Midlands-based client who had planned to visit Salisbury for business meetings.

The Air BnB superhost said, “It is absolutely disgraceful what’s going on with the fuel, it's unnecessary. Shapps [Secretary of State for Transport] has completely messed up.

“We’ve got to stop this panic mentality because that’s what the government is doing all the time.

“Keep calm and carry on... we don’t have any of that anymore, we go out to buy loo rolls, and queue up for five hours to get diesel.”

Kate has been an Air B&B host since 2015, and notes that Brexit, the Salisbury poisonings, and the pandemic have taken a huge toll on her business and it hasn't recovered. 

“I’ve had no income last year, and it has been a very lean summer this year.

“I’m looking to sell. To move. I need to go somewhere where these things don’t have such a hard impact, where you’ve got the sea to draw people in.”

Milford Hall Hotel Manager Stuart Earp was concerned that they have had cancellations, but he was more worried about costs of energy increasing and expressed relief they have a fixed contract for their gas and electric bills.

Peartree Apartments director Arron Howle said that: “Some of our staff are a bit worried about getting petrol today for the rest of the week, but we haven’t had any specific cancellations... yet anyway!”

Has your local business been impacted by the fuel fiasco? Please get in touch.

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