Roadworks are destroying our businesses, claim Street traders
Small businesses at the east end of Street High Street say roadworks are killing their businesses.
John Raffle, the owner of the Beau Brummell dry cleaners said his business is down by almost 60 per cent and he has already had to lay off one member of staff.
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Roadworks in Street's high street
The rest are being paid out of his own money.
"These roadworks are really hurting us," he said.
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"We have been here for 20-odd years, but we are really suffering – the road closure has lost us so many of our regular customers."
He said that although the business would survive the roadworks – which are due to go on for another three weeks, while work is carried out on pavement-widening outside the Mullions – the loss of money would have a huge knock-on effect.
"A lot of our usual customers have just seen the road closed signs and taken their business elsewhere," he said.
"People are creatures of habit – when they start going somewhere else, the chances are that they will stay there.
"As well as the work near the Mullions, they have also taken away the parking places near the Bowling Green.
"There is a big enough problem with trying to park in Street – decisions like this are killing the High Street."
Mr and Mrs Ozsevgec, owner of Chipmonks chip shop said they had also noticed a drop-off in trade.
"It has affected us – even though the signs say the businesses are still open, people are just avoiding this end of the High Street," Mrs Ozsevgec said.
"We understand that the roadworks need to be done, but we hope they will be done as quickly as possible so things can get back to normal."
A Somerset County Council spokesman said that the work should be finished this by the end of this week.
They said: "We appreciate that there will always to be some inconvenience from road works, but the closure was the safest and most efficient way of undertaking the scheme, to provide the requested improvements for people walking to and from the centre of Street."
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