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 Amwell Street residents and traders affected by the resurfacing |
Traders left on the road to ruin
Businesses put under threat as route closes for up to 12 weeks for resurfacing
TRADERS in the Georgian Amwell Street at Clerkenwell are furious that resurfacing roadworks will go on for up to 12 weeks.
Small shopkeepers say they are losing trade due to the construction work ordered by Islington Council, which has closed the road to through traffic. They claim it is a bigger threat to their businesses than both the Congestion Charge and the recession. The traders also claim that the work, by a firm called Conway, is slow because construction workers are not always working at the site.
No work was being done in the road during mid-morning on Monday, when the Tribune arrived to interview traders.
Vet Dale Barter said: “If this was Pentonville Road they would have re-surfaced it overnight. So why do they need 10 to 12 weeks? It doesn’t make sense.”
He added that the council should at least have suspended parking restrictions in nearby roads to make life easier for customers in cars.
According to traders, this is the third time in six months that the road has been dug up.
Previously the water and electricity companies were responsible.
At flower shop Flor Unikon, owner Pasi Jokinen said he would normally receive 20 to 25 people a day. Last week there were days when only one or two customers came in.
He added: “I’ve lived in Spain, Denmark and Finland and I can tell you people would never put up with it there. Roads should be resurfaced overnight or over a couple of days, a week at most. But 12 to13 weeks? Someone is having a laugh.”
Lisa Smith, co-owner of handmade vintage clothes shop Lie Down I Think I Love You, said when she opened in March this year there were plenty of customers. “These roadworks are really killing trade,” she added.
Richard Turner, joint manager of Filthy McNastys pub, said business was down by at least £800 a week since the roadworks started. “I didn’t see any work being done on Friday and Saturday, for example,” he added.
Local Lib Dem councillor George Allan said because workmen were not on site all the time didn’t mean that they were not working. “Concrete surfacing needs time to set,” he added. “A job like this takes time. When it is finished it will be brilliant.
“Residents must stick with it.” |
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