Shops blame roadworks for drop in footfall

The work will see a mini roundabout replaced by a larger roundabout in an effort to improve traffic flow

Businesses have claimed that roadworks near a town centre have resulted in a "massive" drop in footfall.

The work is part of a Wokingham Borough Council road improvement project and has resulted in the closure of the northern entrance of Finchampstead Road for the past month.

The latest stage of work aims to improve traffic flow ahead of 2,500 new homes being built in the area and will continue through the Christmas trading period and into early next year.

Wokingham Borough Council said the work was in its "last push" and that "there's no gain without pain".

The authority said it had made "good progress" on building a new roundabout, which would "significantly improve traffic flows in the area".

However, Azber Bhatti, who owns Peacock House Interiors in the town centre, said the shop had seen "probably a 75% drop" in sales since the work started.

"Over the summer, with the school holidays, we always experience a little dip in footfall - but this has been quite bad this year," he said.

The current stage of the work is expected to last until early next year

Kirtsy Herbert, from baby boutique This Little Piggy, said: "We've never really experienced what we're experiencing now.

"I would say an 80% dip in our sales... we're just not seeing footfall, new customers passing by - there's been a massive change."

Rebecca Laville, the owner of Stitchery Doo on Denmark Street, said: "I've heard a lot of conversation about how people are probably going to avoid town while this stage work is going on.

"Considering I am wool, fabric and haberdashery, this is a 'go-season' for me so I'm a bit worried that footfall will be down in town.

"With all the new housing that's going up they do have to do it, I do agree with that."

Councillor Mark Ashwell, the council's member for economic development, said: "This road has just been awful for probably about 40 years... we're on the last push now to regenerate our town and sort out our infrastructure but there's no gain without pain."

He added: "We've got six to eight months of pain to get that gain... but we're all in it together."