ONGOING roadworks are ‘worrying’ for Christchurch town centre, according to business owners.

Traders in Bargates are said to be feeling the impact of re-occurring and ‘un-co-ordinated’ utility works taking place in the town.

As reported, multiple road closures have been implemented across Bargates, Barrack Road and the A35 Christchurch Bypass for emergency works in the past year.

The closures have created traffic chaos, seeing many shoppers deterred from visiting the town centre.

Richard Oswald, owner of PP Printing in Bargates, said: “We know for a fact that people are avoiding Christchurch. We get told that every day- people say, ‘I’m not coming in to collect the order I placed with you because Christchurch is a nightmare to get to’.

“I know Christchurch BID and the town council and various local bodies are trying to do what they can in terms of co-ordinating things and speaking to Wessex Water and SGN and so forth, but it’s just very frustrating for every business in the town.

“Every business is affected by the roadworks; I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

Bournemouth Echo: Businesses at Bargates express frustration Businesses at Bargates express frustration

At the beginning of the month, Meadowbrook Produce announced they’d closed their shop at Bargates.

In a Facebook post on January 4, the company hinted it was a result of the ongoing roadworks.

They wrote: “Many of you will be disappointed, but we have in the last 12 months had a continuous battle with roadworks leading to traffic congestion. This has been hard for many of you to make the journey.”

Speaking on the closure of shops in Bargates, Richard Oswald said: “It’s very sad to see people go.

“It’s worrying for Bargates and Christchurch itself. No one likes to see empty units. It creates a bad impression.”

Christchurch BID lead Christina Pengelly said shoppers were having “difficulty accessing the shops” in Christchurch as a result of the roadworks.

She added: “I am worried that businesses will leave the area if they cannot retain and attract new customers. The BID is calling for compensation for affected businesses, without the need for complicated paperwork and multi-year financial documentation."