Businesses in a Lancashire market town complain that they are forced to shut due to an 18-month road works nightmare - which has no end in sight.
Kirkham Tile Shop said the ongoing road works was one of the main factors in their decision to close their doors for good. It said that it's been left reeling by falling sales and a reduction in income from a drop in footfall and accessibility into and out of the area.
In effect, relentless road works are, it said, creating a ghost town - where some are experiencing a 40 per cent drop in sales. While road works on Poulton Street were completed on Saturday, April 6, work remains in parts of the town.
The Market Square is currently occupied by construction, with the shops surrounding the area feeling the effects. One such business is Kirkham Pet Centre, owned by resident Hannah MacKenzie. Last year, she said that sales were down around 15 to 25 per cent, depending on the week - but this time round, it's a more dire situation.
Businesses in a Lancashire market town say they are being forced to shut after an 18-month roadworks nightmare (Lancs Live/MEN Media)Hannah told LancsLive: "I've gone through my accounts and I would say I'm approximately 40 per cent down. It really cut in when the temporary traffic lights came in, which was April last year. The temporary traffic lights, we were told in previous correspondence, were going to be in for five days or seven days, I do forget which. It then turned into five months."
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The shop owner said the works contributed to a loss in profit, but the business is also down an additional 10-20 per cent price increase from 2022, due to inflation and cost of living pressures. Starting the works in mid-January 2023, Hannah said the initial completion date she was given for the town centre was August 2023, and for the square being finished, she was told June 2023.
Now almost 18 months since the builders moved in, the business owner is seeing how this has impacted trade. She says it's difficult to get to where her shop is and over the past 18 months, the main roads have been shut off a total of six times "from anywhere between four weeks and three days."
Although Poulton Street has now been reopened, there's not much celebration in the town. The old adage states it takes six weeks to break a habit and that's exactly how the businesses feel in Kirkham.
Despite the road re-opening, shop owners say customers aren't visiting the town as much as they had done due to going elsewhere while works were underway. Last year, Karen Whiting at Superdeal Hardware said she was "fed up".
Now, in April 2024, Karen said: "If people start shopping elsewhere, we are creatures of habit and they will stay there. They just get used to it and they won't come back. You can stand it for a few months, but this is just going on and on and on and on. Every time you ask them, they say they've done this and they've done that, but I've never in my life seen something as bad as this."
When asked if the works affected her business at Superdeal Hardware, Karen said: "Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt. One thing, people and especially the elderly or disabled, could pull up here [outside the shop] and they'd say, would you mind bringing my compost or my paint out to us?
"Obviously, we can't do that now and they can't expect them to walk all the way from the community centre, because they're not able to do it. So it's taken all of those customers away as well. To be absolutely honest, they're on about putting benches and things on Market Square, but for what reason? Who's going to sit and look at the brick wall? They said it's for events and we have, what? Two or three events a year. I mean, surely it's more important to keep the shops going."
As road works were working on Poulton Street, it meant access to the shops was significantly hindered and so was parking in the town. The pavement has been widened for pedestrians and shoppers, but the road itself has been narrowed, causing traffic disruption for larger vehicles getting through.
"In the whole time this has been going on I've been speaking to people," Karen continued. "Two people who don't drive think it looks nice and the rest of the population, that's residents, shopkeepers, customers - nobody can understand it and nobody wanted it."
Sheran Dean owns Kirkham Tile Shop, a business that's been on the high street for the best part of a decade. Having started at the company as a Saturday girl, it's been in the local area for over 30 years, but now Sheran is looking to close its doors for good.
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When asked if she considered leaving before the works started, Sheran said: "No I hadn't really, I was struggling through. Then it was rumoured they were looking for more funding to finish this section of the street and I went, that's it. I'm done. I'm too old now, I can't be bothered, it's too much hassle."
Not only is Sheran a business owner, but she also lives in the area too. She added: "I live over the hill and can walk home in 13 minutes. If I go in the car, it could take me 45 minutes, it's just been a joke."
With the tile shop as a 'destination' business, rather than relying on footfall, Sheran says her business hasn't necessarily been affected by the road closure for customers . But Sheran said: "The whole road has been a disaster from day one. We're 18 months in and it's still not finished."
A spokesperson from Fylde Council said: "This work is now substantially complete and has entered what is referred to as the defects monitoring period, in which our Regeneration team will continue to assess for any issues. Vehicular access is available and will continue to be available, barring any work required to address any such emerging issues.
"I mentioned in my previous email the ongoing improvements to Market Square. These are due to be complete at the end of April, and business access is still available, as it has been throughout. The shopfront improvements are all taking place with the voluntary involvement of the proprietors, and similarly do not affect business access.
"The objective of the Kirkham Futures project is to contribute to the long-term regeneration of Kirkham, creating more appealing public areas and developing spaces – such as the square – to be used for a range of events to increase footfall in the town. Elements such as the development of the former TSB building will help diversify the town’s offer to both locals and visitors, so that it can enjoy both a daytime and night-time economy. Together, the improvements we have implemented will help drive growth, bring in additional business, and ensure future sustainability."
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