Traders’ fury as work to improve roads and pavements in historic market town forced them to close for good after the disruption rumbled on for months and saw their takings plummet by 50%

• Shopkeepers angry at temporary one-way system in Hexham, Northumberland
• Midway through a £2.4 upgrade scheduled to last 40 weeks
• Project has been paused over Christmas to encourage a pick-up in trade

Traders in an historic market town are up-in-arms after a scheme to improve roads and pavements saw months of disruption and a sharp decline in shoppers – leaving some considering closing permanently.

Shopkeepers claim a temporary one-way system in Hexham, Northumberland, is putting off drivers visiting the town and confusing shoppers on foot too, with some saying their takings are down by as much as 50 per cent since the works started.

Hexham – named happiest place to live in Britain in an annual survey by Rightmove in two of the last five years – is midway through a £2.4 upgrade scheduled to last 40 weeks.

The project has been paused over Christmas to encourage a pick-up in trade – but will resume again in January and last at least another four months.

Gordon and Joanne Moore who run The Natural Grocer cafe, on Cattle Market, the main street affected, are now planning to close for good on Christmas Eve. 

Shopkeepers claim a temporary one-way system in Hexham, Northumberland, is putting off drivers visiting the town and confusing shoppers on foot too, with some saying their takings are down by as much as 50 per cent since the works started

The town – named happiest place to live in Britain in an annual survey by Rightmove in two of the last five years – is midway through a £2.4 upgrade scheduled to last 40 weeks

Gordon and Joanne Moore who run The Natural Grocer cafe, on Cattle Market, the main street affected, are now planning to close for good on Christmas Eve

Gordon said: ‘We are going to close after Christmas because we are not prepared to go into the New Year and be losing money each week.

‘It’s been an obstacle course for pedestrians with diversions and mess and slurry on the road and it has made it virtually impossible to trade.

‘We have had some customers ringing us up and asking ‘when are you going to be open’. We have been open all the time but stuck behind green screens.’

The couple only opened the business, a cafe/restaurant and selling local produce, in October, last year but quickly built it up.

But since the road works started on Cattle Market in July they claim they have been losing £1,000 per week.

Now Gordon, 63, and Joanne, 48, fear they cannot continue and are planning to close after Christmas with two full-time and five part-time staff losing their jobs.

Gordon said: ‘We immediately saw a drop in footfall and takings are down 30 per cent, which has taken us from breaking even to running at a £1,000 a week loss – and we can’t go on.

‘We are going to close after Christmas because we are not prepared to go into the New Year and be losing money each week.

Since the road works started on Cattle Market in July, some businesses claim they have been losing £1,000 per week

The couple only opened the business, a cafe/restaurant and selling local produce, in October, last year but quickly built it up

The project has been paused over Christmas to encourage a pick-up in trade – but will resume again in January and last at least another four months

Gordon, 63, fears they cannot continue and are planning to close after Christmas with two full-time and five part-time staff losing their jobs.

New pavements on Priestpopple, Cattle Market and Battle Hill, aim to make the town a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and visit

‘It’s been an obstacle course for pedestrians with diversions and mess and slurry on the road and it has made it virtually impossible to trade. The works are moving at a snail’s pace. 

‘We have had some customers ringing us up and asking ‘when are you going to be open’. We have been open all the time but stuck behind green screens.’

Joanne said: ‘I think the council has vastly underestimated the effect the works would have on footfall to the streets. We can’t go on losing the custom.

‘We have decided that we can no longer bear the stress caused by our situation and can see no other way forward than to not reopen after Christmas.’

Gordon also takes exception to some of the materials used with local red sandstone being removed and replaced by granite apparently imported from China.

He said: ‘The council thought it was a good idea to take up all the old pavements even though from what I could see there was nothing wrong with them – and replace them with new paving, all the way from China. Importing from China is not exactly helping local businesses.

Family butchers Cranstons, which has been trading on Cattle Market since 1914, has  also suffered a loss of a trade because of the issues.

Boss Nick Collins, 48, has worked in the shop for 33 years, said: ‘The whole town has been a oneway system since July, so that’s not been good.

‘It’s been noisy and messy, but it’s not affected us as much as other shops. Although some people did think that we were shut.

‘But I feel for other businesses who have suffered more than we have.’

Family butchers Cranstons, which has been trading on Cattle Market since 1914, has also suffered a loss of a trade because of the issues.

Paul Gaitskell, 28, manager of gents’ outfitters S & S Attire, said his customers often thought the shop was shut when workmen erected the green screens outside

Paul said: ‘There has been a drop in trade since the work has been going on. Customers couldn’t get to the shop directly, they had to go all the way around’

A few doors up from The Natural Grocer, Paul Gaitskell, 28, manager of gents’ outfitters S & S Attire, said his customers often thought the shop was shut when workmen erected the green screens outside.

Paul said: ‘There has been a drop in trade since the work has been going on. Customers couldn’t get to the shop directly, they had to go all the way around. You could get to the door but you had to go on a serious mission – you would think that we were shut.

‘If you were coming up that street, and saw the window, you would think we were shut. And there was often a lot of muck and dust outside.

‘The green things were a massive inconvenience.’

Heather Cook, 43, owner of craft shop Green Bee said: ‘The green fences outside my door were not helpful for business.

‘There was a 50 per cent reduction in trade with the green fences up. People couldn’t get in or out, it should have been more factored in by the council.’

Kelly Morgan, 45, who runs gift shop Artful, said: ‘We are closing for good in February anyway after 17 years.’

However unlike the Moores, Kelly isn’t giving up because of the roadworks but because she’s fed up with making the daily commute from Newcastle where she lives.

But she admitted the scheme has made her final months in business harder: ‘The traffic is terrible, which it never used to be. The one way system has been suspended, but in January when it returns, the situation will again be challenging. The one way system is causing confusion and mayhem, which there never was before.’

Kelly Morgan isn’t giving up because of the roadworks but because she’s fed up with making the daily commute from Newcastle where she lives

The council say the work has been used to enhance the Conservation Area status of the town centre

Morgan, 45, admitted the scheme has made her final months in business harder

Northumberland County Council has justified the scheme as an improvement which will in the longer term revitalise Hexham’s historic town centre.

New pavements on Priestpopple, Cattle Market and Battle Hill, aim to make the town a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and visit, while also enhancing the Conservation Area status of the town centre.

Northumberland County Councillor Wojciech Ploszaj, cabinet member for Supporting Business and Opportunities said: ‘Businesses have been very accommodating during the works and we once again thank both residents and businesses for their patience and understanding whilst this important work is carried out to improve their town.

‘The feedback we have received from the public about the improvements that have been completed so far have been extremely positive.’

The council say it has been contacted regarding traders’ concerns.

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