An independent Somerset business is losing hundreds of pounds in revenue a week due to road works near its store.
The Planet in Taunton has seen a significant drop in footfall since work began around the rue Paul intersection last month.
Roadworks created havoc for traffic in Taunton, even after East Street reopened on May 24.
As the entrance to rue Paul is only accessible from one side, very few people are now heading to independent companies such as The Planet, which have suffered.
For more Taunton stories, bookmark our TauntonLive page and sign up for our newsletter here.
Owner Anneliese Woodier said: “It’s so loud and dusty that those who come from the city center don’t see it as very attractive anymore.
“All the signage around road works makes the road look closed. There are a few detour signs but they don’t really get you anywhere.
“Unless you are very familiar with the area, you are sent on a loop around town and people no longer come down to our street.
“We’ve had windy days recently and going up to our stores is like stepping into a cloud of dust and it’s very noisy.
“We are all independent stores here and we really rely on the passing trade.”
The interior of the independent company, The Planet
Several other independent businesses on rue Paul were affected by the road works.
Lesser Litter Zero Waste Shop, Fine Art & Framing, Letty B’s Hairdressing and The Complete Kitchen Co are just a few of the businesses that have also struggled.
Anneliese added: “Throughout the lockdown I had so many people stopping and looking out the window. It gave me a lot of hope to reopen the business.
“We had two or three weeks of very good business then, but then the work started and everything fell apart.
“The drop in footfall is pretty big. Since we reopened our business after the lockdown, people’s buying habits have changed anyway, but I know my revenue is down by several hundred pounds a week. .
“I didn’t notice a lot of people on the street anymore and cars don’t enter parking lots either. Even on a Saturday you don’t notice the same usual level of traffic outside.”
Read more related articles Read more related articles
The planet used to function like a cafe before it had to change its modus operandi due to the coronavirus restrictions in place.
Anneliese said: “We used to be a cafe for the past four years, but now we are a houseplant store because of Covid.
“We also sell houseplants, pieces of household items and vegan take-out coffees.
“We used to be a cafe, but we made the switch because we had to get rid of so many tables, we used the space for the stock instead of the tables.
“We used to have a lot of food waste last year out the window throughout the pandemic, but this has been a great response since the change of business.”
Do you have a story or tip to tell in Taunton, Wellington or West Somerset? Email me at ross.millen@reachplc.com to get in touch.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-04 09:17:51
