A RESTAURANT owner in Church Street has vowed to be pragmatic and defiant despite street works harming business.

Adam Giagnotti, owner of the Olive Branch Mediterranean restaurant estimated that business has been down 30 per cent during the work, which is being done as part of a project to install new water pipes in the city centre.

He said: “Usually we are a lot busier during the day than we have been.

“It has harmed us a lot because, because we rely a lot on casual walk ins for business.

“With the lack of access this week, it has been very hard.”

Mr Giagnotti described how university graduation week and the October half-term normally mean big business and is expecting a quiter week than normal this year.

Asked if he had been kept up to speed with the progress of the works, Mr Giagnotti said: “They have been good with us and talked to us every step of the way.”

Despite the impact on trade caused by the work, Mr Giagnotti was keen to state it was ‘not the end of the world’ and said: “We understand the work will not go on forever so we are being pragmatic about things and not panicking about it.”

A member of staff from the Housewife's Choice fruit and veg shop said the situation was 'really bad' and that "We normally get people queuing all round the shop but this week there is nothing."