Businesses 'can't survive' roadworks, publican warns
BBCA pub landlord has warned businesses "can't survive" the financial impact of ongoing roadworks on a city high street.
Southern Water began its work to repair a collapsed sewer at the top of Shirley high street in April and has extended the completion date until the end of August.
Among the traders speaking out, Roy Barrett, who runs The Temple Bar, said he was "losing about £5,000 a week" as a result.
Southern Water apologised and said it was trying to accelerate the repair works.
Barrett, who took the pub over eight months ago, said the work had led to "one calamity after the other", with water cut off three times, forcing him to close.
"There's been occasions where they pumped water out across the road, which has stopped people coming in."
He added that on one instance there was "raw sewage" pouring into the front of the pub and the cellar.
"I've had the brand new carpets cleaned twice," he said.
In May, workers hit a main pipe, causing water to spurt out across the road. An eastbound road closure has also been put in place.
"We've lost so much trade," Barrett said, adding "no-one wants to come down this way any more unless you're walking or you're very local".
He said the noise created by the works and the increased time it takes for people to travel to Shirley had led to a fall in customers.
He said "Every week is worse and if that does carry on places like this just can't survive."
Barrett added he was also concerned for the mental health of older customers who have been reluctant to go to the pub because they said the bus had taken too long.
"They will come in to have that social interaction that they're not having anymore," he said.
"This may be the only conversation they have with a human being on that day."
Just across the road, Peter Gallagher, who runs the Make it Magic party and craft store, said he had also been "suffering and feeling the pain" of the works.
"We've traded through Covid, through all the hard times, and this has hit us as hard as any of that," he said.
Gallagher's store has been in the area since the 1970s but said total sales revenue had decreased by 40% in recent months.
"This is unheard of. This shop is full of stock - what it's not full of is customers".
A temporary bus stop has been erected at the front of his store which Gallagher said it has made it difficult to have stock delivered.
He also said one customer told him it took her two hours to get to Shirley on the bus for what would ordinarily be a 15-minute journey.
"I'm not sure [Southern Water] have taken into consideration the actual physical and financial burden they've created on the businesses," he said.
"All they've done is make it very, very difficult for people to come to Shirley and made it very difficult for people to shop".
Southern Water said the work had taken longer than expected because the extent of the damage was "greater than initially identified".
"We have also encountered previously unmapped utilities where we're working, meaning works must progress carefully to avoid further disruption or damage.
It said businesses may be eligible to claim for substantiated losses
"We understand the concern from businesses and customers and recognise the impact this is having.
"We will be exploring every avenue to find ways we can accelerate our work, and we will be contacting local businesses and stakeholders directly to keep them updated on our progress and next steps."
