Anguished Burnley town centre shop owners' appeal for customers' support after new roadworks hit their trade

Traders in Standish Street made the appeal after roadworks began last week in preparation for essential repair works needed on the bridge at Curzon Street. The current roadworks are due to last for five weeks and the main part of the work, due to start in January, 2023, is set to take six months.

Bosses at Lancashire County Council had originally planned for the full programme to begin this month but decided to put it on hold after considering the effects on the town centre.

And while shop owners in Standish Street were relieved to hear the major scheme has been put back, several say they have already been adversely affected by the current roadworks.

Cheryl Jackson, who runs Cuppa Cake Ltd, said: "I have seen a drop of 94 per cent in my takings. One day I took just £25.

"We accept this work needs to be done but it seems that the people most affected by it have not been taken into consideration and the catastrophic effect this will have on our businesses.

"After struggling through covid to come out the other side we now have this and for some of us it could be the end of the road.

"We ask that the people of Burnley support us through this to keep the high street alive.”

Temporary traffic lights are in place on Standish Street and Curzon Street and the area is closed off to traffic for five weeks. Parking spaces have also been slashed while the work continues and traders' hopes that the nearby Pioneer car park would be open were dashed this week when Burnley Council it would remain closed due to 'unforseen delays.'

Glenn Walker, who owns Burnley Home Brew, Philip Payne, who works in Now and Then second shop and Mohammed Ayoub Big Buns Burgers, said the lack of parking was disastrous for them as it means delivery vehicles have nowhere to stop outside their businesses.

Philip said: "We deal with large items, such as fridges, so this involves physically carrying them to the top of the street due to these roadworks."

In a bid to reach out to customers Cheryl and Amanda Hanson, who owns Sweet William florist's said they are willing to deliver to customers.

Amanda said: "Customers with mobility issues have nowhere to park close to the shop and it is impractical for them to walk any distance, especially carrying delicate and perishable items like flowers or cakes.

"So we are willing to deliver to them, either at home or if they want to park somewhere we will take the goods to them. All they need to do is ring us.

"We thought we had faced some tough times through the pandemic and this is another hurdle for us to overcome. But we all have some loyal customers and we hope they will stick with us through this.”