A Monmouth DIY chain has pleaded with shoppers to support local traders during the road works that will plague Monnow Street until mid-March.
Confusion following the sudden delay of the planned one-way traffic system in Monmouth beginning Monday morning saw a reduction in traffic through the town.
The Welsh Water works which began in December, currently has traffic lights on the Robin Hood corner and retailer Handyman House was prompted to plead with shoppers saying the roadworks “will kill many of us off - if you don’t use us the town will be gone quicker than you think.
“I know it’s a pain to navigate through the roadworks and find places to park but many of us will not survive the year’s worth of disruption if you find alternative towns to shop in whilst Monmouth town is undergoing this change,” Claire Lawson of Handyman House added.
Speaking to assistants in Handyman House yesterday morning, the Beacon was told that shoppers are “nervous” about the impending chaos as Welsh Water begin their work up Monnow Street which is going to be a one way system for vehicles from the end of this week until mid-March.
Trudy Whittaker added that It has cut down on our parking and made it difficult for people to come into town.
“We’ve noticed an upturn in telephone enquiries with people ringing before they venture into town,” she added.
“The workmen have been as accommodating as they can and have opened up our parking area a bit more.
“But it has impacted the business,” she added.
Trudy Whittaker added that It has cut down on their parking and made it difficult for people to come into town.
“We’ve noticed an upturn in telephone enquiries with people ringing before they venture into town,” she added.
“The workmen have been as accommodating as they can and have opened up our parking area a bit more.
“But it has impacted the business,” she added.
Adding to the worry will be the additional three-month work starting on Williamsfield Lane and Wonastow Road where an MCC Active Plan will see wider pavements, pedestrian crossings on Wonastow and Rockfield Road and a return to a T junction at the head of Wonastow Road with priority going to traffic on Rockfield Road and Drybridge Street.
The Chamber of Commerce has written to MCC expressing its concern that the Williams Lane Active Travel programme is starting at the same time as the one-way system is introduced in Monnow Street to accommodate the Welsh Water works.
Sherren McCabe-Finlayson, President of the Chamber told the Beacon “this will have an added detrimental effect on people visiting the town and on the high street businesses, in particular. We would urge everyone to support their local shops, businesses, and tradespeople throughout the duration of the work to help businesses who have invested in our town to survive.”
MCC are confident that the two work schedules can co-exist without causing undue disruption. The works on Wonastow Road will be carried out with temporary traffic lights and done in phases so the traffic lights will move with each section of work.
Work scheduled for Rockfield Road will see a widening of the pavement to the skatepark and a pedestrian crossing whilst work to Wonastow Road will include widening the existing footway on the northern side of Wonastow Road to accommodate a shared-use footway/cycleway, the provision of a pedestrian crossing and removing sections of on-street parking.