Business owners in Dereham say their footfall is down following the first week of major road works.
Three businesses spoke to us on March 24 to reflect on the road works which have brought Dereham into ‘gridlock’, due to pavement reconstruction works on the north side of Yaxham Road between Greens and Station roads.
Andy Sullivan, owner of Norski Noos Gallery and Coffee Shop, said: “It has been horrendous, the footfall is being demolished.
“It is just another inconvenience.
“These works mean we won’t take as much, it won’t be devastating as you find other ways, but you are trying to build into the summer, but it means another month where you are scraping by, rather than happily singing by.”
Paul Sandford, landlord at the Railway Tavern on Yaxham Road, was fearful of the impact but said the last week had led to “sleepless nights” with concern for his staff.
“In all honesty, we are trying to stay positive but it’s been horrendous - we are 80pc down on footfall,” he added.
“The bigger picture is a disaster for Dereham with people avoiding shopping and going into Norwich which is terrible for the local economy.”
Alison Hagen, who runs Alison's Equestrian and Pet Supplies on Yaxham Road Industrial Estate, said it had become a “ghost town”.
“It's so unbelievably quiet, it’s hard as a small business in this current economic climate without the extra hurdles put in our way,” she added.
“Customers have said how difficult it has been to get to us, with some saying they won’t be returning until the roadworks are completed.
“After week one, we are dreading the next four - we are having to offer customers free delivery to address the fall in footfall.”
Norfolk County Council said the pavement on the north side of Yaxham Road between Greens and Station roads had to be rebuilt.
A statement released earlier in the week said: “While these works are necessary, as the existing footway has reached the end of its serviceable life and requires reconstruction, we do regret the unavoidable impact on residents and highways users in the area.
"The measures employed have been reviewed by our Streetworks team with regard to safety, impact on the network and coordination with other works within the area.
"Our team onsite are working hard to keep delays to the public to a minimum and will review the traffic management should any safety issues arise.
"We hope to complete these works in a timely manner and allow traffic to return to its usual routes as swiftly as possible.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here