ANOTHER firm is considering drastic measures after counting the cost of the recent flooding.

Harish Dhariwal, manager of the Mediterranean Fish Bar in Abingdon Road, Oxford, said he is now considering moving to a new location in the city.

He said since they opened in 2007, flooding had become more regular and they’d lost a “substantial” amount of money.

The 39-year-old said: “These floods are happening regularly – every year and a half to a year – and we are looking at relocating.

“We’ve lost a substantial amount of money and it’s going to take us months to claw that back.”

Oxford Mail:

Abingdon Road in the floods

He said while the fish bar hadn’t suffered much damage, the long-term impact on the business of the road being closed off for days would affect them.

Last night, the Oxfordshire branch of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce warned businesses to consider ways of protecting their income during flooding.

Branch president Bob Bradley said: “Businesses now need to consider very carefully where they set up because of the flooding.

“Some insurance premiums have gone up and that is making businesses less viable – they either have to pay a fortune for insurance or suffer the costs when it happens.

“Some firms might be losing half a year’s profit if they have to close for a week, so some businesses which get flooded could decide to move.”

Earlier this month, the Oxford Mail reported that WS Supplies in Lamarsh Road, off Botley Road, said it was closing next year, partly because of the floods.

Richer Sounds which runs alongside Bullstake Stream in Botley Road, was closed for several days during the floods.

Its manager Dan Cook, said: “There was nothing we could do about the water rising up through the floor downstairs.

Oxford Mail:

Dan Cook

“It came up through the floor of the cellar and we lost a lot of stock. We piled as much of it up high as we could, but we still lost about £25,000-worth.”

Forced to close for a week, Mr Cook, 39, said: “As it was just after Christmas, and with the January sales, I would guess we lost about £60,000 worth of trade.”

Oxford Mail:

Richer Sounds during the floods

He said they were looking at improving flood defences around the building and said: “It’s very early days, and there are a lot of ideas around, but it may be a big building project to raise everything up.”

Lee Isaacs, manager of the Oxford Wine Company in Botley Road, said: “Our sales were 50, 60 per cent down.

“We had a nominal number of customers – only a handful. On the Wednesday I only sold one bottle of beer.”