Traders complain of heavy losses due to repairs

Chloe (centre) said she had lost £7,000 since the works began

Independent traders in Surrey have complained they have lost customers due to emergency works over the last five months.

Emergency repairs at the end of Hersham Road, Walton-on-Thames, have created a “constant traffic jam”, forcing many drivers to avoid the route, they have said.

The UK Power Network (UKPN) repairs started at the end of November to tackle the "essential and immediate repair" of electrical faults related to high voltage supply cables.

It said its engineers had worked closely with the county council and other utilities to keep disruption to a minimum, provided relevant signage and lighting, and had spoken to business owners.

One local trader said he sometimes gets just one customer a day

Local businesses on Hersham Halfway said the works had driven their customers away, pushing them to close early, reduce hours and lose fresh food.

Martin, who has been running CIT Camping shop since 1974, said: “It was always a busy and thriving parade,” but now, he said, he only gets one customer on some days.

Chloe Teague, who runs Radiance Beauty and Tanning, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had lost £7,000 in revenue since the work started.

Linda Bell, owner of Crumbs Sandwich Bar, said she has had to throw out fresh goods after a drop in footfall.

Hersham Road traders have complained of “no communication” and “no apology” for the impact the works have had on their businesses.

A Surrey County Council spokesperson said: "Whilst we have no say when utility companies carry out their works, we always do our utmost to minimise impact by working with them to agree the duration of works and limit the disruption caused."

UKPN added: "This was a complex repair, which took considerable time as we needed to excavate a 1.7km (0.6m) trench and join a new section of cable to our electricity distribution network.

"We have returned the road to normal and are completing the final work, but this is not having any traffic impact."