Roadworks in our village are killing Christmas trade (From Worcester News)

Roadworks in our village are killing Christmas trade

12:40pm Tuesday 24th November 2009 in

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GAS works in Fernhill Heath, Worcester, have caused chaos for local traders, who say their businesses have been hit hard during the busiest time of the year.

Shop owners and pub landlords say roadworks on the busy A38 have affected pre-Christmas trade, with queues of traffic at temporary traffic lights making it hard for customers to park nearby.

They want contractors to work around the clock to get the works finished, but believe the work will not be completed until into January.

Linda Jeffrey, sub postmistress at Fernhill Heath Post Office, Droitwich Road, said: “I’m losing a lot of trade through it. In the run up until Christmas we usually take twenty-fold what we normally do but I’ve definitely noticed a big drop.”

Alan Kasch, who runs convenience store Supershop, said: “I’m about 30 per cent down on normal. I placed all the orders for my Christmas stock in advance and we are not selling it now so it causes a major cash flow problem.”

Mr Kasch said traders understood the job had to be done but felt it was under-resourced with only two workers on site. Landlords from the village’s pubs have also been hit during their crucial Christmas period.

Andy Probyn, the Bull Inn’s landlord, said: “The last weekend just gone has been our quietest for a few years.”

Jim Godwin, landlord at the White Hart, said: “We’ve had a drop in trade.

“When you are stuck in it for 10 to 15 minutes and you’ve only got half an hour for lunch, you aren’t going to bother.”

Staff at Brookside Fruits, more than a mile away, have also noted a decline.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has written to National Grid, which is carrying out the works, demanding an explanation.

He said: “We all know that this work must be done, but it must be done efficiently and considerately too.”

A National Grid spokeswoman said the work to replace 200m of metal pipe with a plastic one was essential and would be completed by Friday, December 18.

She said: “We do everything we can to try to avoid this.

“We were hoping to do it through inserting the new pipe into the old one, which would have got us out of there earlier.

“But there are times, like this, when we can’t.”