Independent shop owners in King Charles's market town of Tetbury say they can only "hope and pray" that a major road closure will be changed, amid fears it could keep customers away in the run-up to Christmas.
Silver Street, one of the main routes into the Gloucestershire town from Malmesbury, was due to close on October 26, with the closure initially expected to last until November 27. The official diversion route is around 50 miles, raising concerns about disruption for residents, visitors and local businesses.
The closure is intended to allow private building works and scaffolding to be carried out safely at a property on the street. But independent traders say the timing could hardly be worse, with shops preparing for what is often one of their busiest periods of the year.
Traders Describe Plans as 'Madness'
Jackie Stead, manager of independently owned homeware and gift shop French Grey on Long Street, described the plans as "madness" and "very shortsighted". She said: "It's very concerning considering this is our lead up to Christmas.
"This is what we traders look forward to potentially as a bumper time to carry us through our quieter months."
French Grey expanded into neighbouring premises last year, creating a dedicated Christmas shopping space that was warmly received by customers. Ms Stead said the expansion had been popular locally, with shoppers telling the store it had helped "light up the town".
But this year, she fears the road closure could make it harder for customers travelling into Tetbury to visit the shops. "And then actually we discover, can people get to us from that part of the country?" she said.
Concerns Over Town Entrance
She stressed that the issue went beyond a short stretch of the high street being difficult to access. "We are talking about an entrance to the town," she told Gloucestershire Live.
The retailer said local businesses were now left to "hope and pray" that the closure would be postponed or scaled back to a single lane, with temporary traffic lights allowing vehicles to pass.
Tetbury, which is known for its independent shops, cafes and hotels, is also home to Highgrove House, the private residence of King Charles.
Laura Hall-Wilson, the Conservative councillor representing Tetbury with Upton at Cotswold District Council, has also called on Gloucestershire County Council's highways team to reconsider the plans. She said she had been pressing for the closure to be postponed or reduced to limit the impact on Christmas trading, nearby residents and patients travelling to Tetbury Hospital.
Council Defends Safety Measures
Cllr Hall-Wilson also criticised the time taken to respond to concerns raised by the community. She pointed to an apparent contradiction between public spending on initiatives to support town centres and the decision to close a major route into Tetbury during the busy festive shopping period. She said she was still hoping for a last-minute intervention that would allow single-lane traffic controlled by temporary lights.
Gloucestershire County Council said the closure was necessary to allow the building work and scaffolding to be carried out safely. Cllr Mark Harris, the council's cabinet member for highways, said officials understood the concerns raised by residents, businesses and other organisations.
He explained that Silver Street was too narrow to allow vehicles to pass safely while the work was taking place. During previous work at the location, a lorry had collided with scaffolding, damaging the property and a neighbouring building.
Cllr Harris said the road would close as planned while the scaffolding was installed, but a site meeting would examine whether the working area could subsequently be reduced enough to allow the road to reopen under temporary traffic lights for part of the remaining works. "Safety has to be our priority, but we recognise the disruption this closure could cause and will continue to work with the contractor to see whether its impact can be reduced," he said.
Changes Secured to Works Schedule
South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage said residents, businesses and the town council had already secured changes to the plans. The works were expected to run seven days a week and finish on November 18, more than a week earlier than the original November 27 date.
She also said pedestrian access would be maintained for Remembrance parades and additional signs would be provided to help people reach Tetbury Hospital. Ms Savage said she welcomed the council's decision to look again at remaining concerns, including whether temporary traffic lights could be used safely.
However, the prospect of weeks of disruption remains a concern for traders approaching the Christmas period. For independent retailers, the coming weeks could prove particularly important in helping them cover quieter months later in the year.
