2 days ago
Woodbridge businesses claim road closure signs are 'misleading'
Business owners have claimed shoppers wrongly believe a "whole town is closed" due to road closure signs following a burst water main. Anglian Water started repairing the main on Station Road and Quay Side, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, on Sunday with work expected to conclude by a result, a small stretch of road in the town centre has been shut off, but signs alerting motorists to the closure have been put up as far away as the Melton and the even on the A12."It has definitely had an effect on the town and I would say I've seen up to a 50% decline in footfall," said Matthew Aldridge, who owns Silver Sun Jewellery.
"It just seems like no intelligence has been used for where to place these signs and someone has just slapped them anywhere and everywhere."People think they can't get into the town and so they go elsewhere – it's not great at all."
'Confusing'
Claire Flatt, general manager of Two Magpies Bakery, said while the road closure does add extra time to people's journeys, the "confusing signage" was the main problem."We are very quiet which we believe is to do with the fact that the road closure signs are so far away from where the road is actually closed," she told the BBC."The signage comes far too early when you are driving into Woodbridge and so people are thinking it[the town] is closed and they can't get in."We should be really busy but I have eight to nine tables free - we'd normally be very full."
Other shop owners have claimed the road signs are also putting taxi drivers and bus drivers coming into Woodbridge out of fear they might get stuck. But Paul Newberry, who has owned the Fish Box for 20 years, said "all roadworks are a pain" but were "something you have to live with"."It does have an impact on everyone and you might lose a bit of passing trade but your diehards will make the extra effort to sit in traffic to get to you," he said."We have a lot to offer in Woodbridge and that does attract people but let's hope it is sorted pretty quick and we can get back to full capacity."Anglian Water has been approached for a comment.
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