Charlotte Heyes, co-owner of popular pizza spot Nell’s and Common in Greater Manchester, has issued a plea to customers to ‘keep visiting us’ after major Metrolink improvement works began on July 13, causing three weeks of disruption. The works, running until August 2, involve essential upgrades at Deansgate-Castlefield and Trafford Bar tram stops, along with additional work on the Eccles line, resulting in no trams operating on the Eccles, Trafford Centre, and Altrincham lines. The East Didsbury and Airport lines will terminate at Firswood.
Impact on Hospitality Businesses
Charlotte Heyes, who runs Nell’s with her husband Jonny, expressed concern about the impact on their venues in the city centre, MediaCity, and the Northern Quarter. “I think it will most affect us at MediaCity because it’s right by the tram stop there and people will get off and head to us. We don’t have that now for the next three weeks,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I think it could have a real impact on the area - we've had to adjust our forecasts lower as a result.”
However, Charlotte noted that the first few days were not as bad as feared, partly due to good weather. “Thankfully, it’s not been as bad as we thought it would be so far but we have still noticed a bit of a drop in trade. The fact that we’ve had nice weather has certainly helped us out with that.” She recalled similar works over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend from April 3 to 6, which she described as ‘disastrous’ for business, with a significant drop in trade at MediaCity.
Lack of Notice and Support
Charlotte said she first learned about the works in mid-June and felt the notice was insufficient. “I do feel like we weren’t given enough notice about this. I expect these works had been planned for a long time. If we had known about this six months, or even three months, earlier, it would have helped us figure things out a bit more thoroughly on how we can deal with it.” She approached the Bee Network for support but said the works are now underway and they must adapt.
Replacement buses are running on affected lines, and passengers are advised to use Bee Network buses and trains. A Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) spokesperson called the works the ‘biggest track upgrades’ they have ever done, stating they are ‘vitally important’ for more reliable journeys. “This is one of the biggest track upgrades we’ve ever done, and it was always going to be disruptive for passengers given the scale of the job. We’re sorry for the inconvenience and are doing everything we can to keep people moving,” the spokesperson said.
Plea to Customers
Charlotte urged customers to continue supporting local businesses despite the disruption. “We just want to remind customers to still come visit us, there are still lots of ways of getting into town and into MediaCity whether it’s by bus or by cycling. We’re still open. Remember your local businesses, make the most of them.” She added, “It’s been quite a challenging climate for us as a sector with the increased cost pressures so this has not come at the best of timing for us, but we’re just hoping people will still come and visit us.”
The works coincide with major events including Manchester Day, Comic Con Manchester, and The Hundred at Emirates Old Trafford. TfGM encourages passengers to check the Bee Network website or app for the latest information and to allow extra travel time.
