60% Of Business Lost From Roadworks

17 November 2011, 06:00

Roadwork’s on Kingsthorpe Road are now drawing to a close after five months of disruption. Even though the shops have been open as usual some shopkeepers say number of customers has dropped significantly.

Neil Duguid runs an art gallery on Kingsthorpe road, he says since the road works started business has been so bad he's had to let-go two members of staff.

"One week we probably only saw up to ten people where you would normally expect to see around 100-150. That Saturday no one came in all day, I've never had that not in ten years of trading" 

He is now worried that the customers who went elsewhere to avoid queuing in traffic might never come back.

At a meeting on Tuesday night some business owners told the council they want compensation for their loss in takings. Andre Gonzalez De Savage from Northamptonshire County Council says compensation is not an option but he sympathises with the small businesses and says they should benefit from the improvements made to the road.

Linda Wood is the manager of Sargent's Butchers. She thinks that her customers have been going to other shops where they could park much easier.

Shopkeepers are trying to remain positive that Christmas should bring business back to normal but say it will take months if not years to recover.