Bewdley traders call for compensation

Traders are calling for compensation over months of roadworks which they claim have "devastated" trade in Bewdley as takings have dropped.

Businesses fear it could take up to two years to recover from the effects of the work to replace old pipes, which is set to be completed by next month.

Many traders have already submitted claims to Severn Trent Water and the National Grid, in a bid to claw back lost income.

They claim visitor numbers have plummeted and residents have avoided the town since work started on the scheme in January.

Anthony Thompson, who runs the Bewdley Farm Shop in Dog Lane and Bewdley Bakeaway in Load Street, is among those seeking compensation.

He said: The bakery has been hit harder than the farm shop. It has lost 35 per cent of its trade which is an awful lot to lose.

"The farm shop has lost around 28 per cent. The question now is how much will be given back, because it will certainly not be the amount lost.

"But the real concern is that this problem will not just stop when the roadworks are completed in May.

"People are not just going to start coming back into the town. They have got into new shopping habits over the past four months.

"I believe it's going to take a good 12 months to two years to get Bewdley back to where it was.

"First it was the floods and now the roadworks have taken their toll. This really has devastated trade."

Spokeswoman for Severn Trent Gill Dickinson said: "Any traders who believe the works have adversely affected their business we would urge to look at our Loss of Profit scheme."

National Grid spokesman Antony Quarrell added teams worked extended hours to ensure the work was completed promptly.