POOLE traders hit by a three-month road closure say they have been left fighting for their livelihoods through “poor planning” by the authorities.

Businesses at the lower end of the High Street have watched takings plummet since gas main replacement work began on January 11.

The work has all but cut off the stretch of road, something the hard-pressed traders have become used to in recent years.

The redevelopment of Old Orchard restricted access to the lower end of the High Street for many months.

Traders are now demanding to know why the gas main was not done at the same time to minimise the impact on them.

Pete Miles, owner of Storm Restaurant, said: “It’s madness to dig it all up for a second time.

“It’s poor planning.”

John Macey, owner of Axent Embroidery, has already seen his business drop off around 50 per cent since the start of the roadworks.

He said: “What are they trying to do to the lower end of the High Street?

“There is no cohesive thinking.

“We have had so much disruption over the past few years.” Town centre manager for Poole Richard Randle-Jones said the work had to be done in stages or emergency vehicles would not have been able to reach that area.

He said: “There is never a convenient time to do this type of work.”

The town centre manager urged people to still visit the shops and restaurants on foot.

He added that businesses were eligible for compensation from Southern Gas Networks if repairs lasted more than four weeks.

Duncan MacDonald, spokesman for Southern Gas, said their payouts were in line with Ofgem guidelines.