March shopkeepers blame regeneration works for major falls in trade

Nigel Lambert said he was worried that Mothers' Day stock would remain on the shelves

A shopkeeper said people were avoiding a town centre "like the plague" due to ongoing construction works, with firms shutting or seeing big falls in sales.

Nigel Lambert, who runs Greetings card shop in March, Cambridgeshire, said he had "never known things so bad".

A dry cleaners also said business had "dwindled" so much due to the High Street regeneration works it was planning to shut for good.

Fenland District Council said the works would bring "a raft of improvements".

A number of projects are ongoing in March town centre totalling millions of pounds, following grants from local councils, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and the government.

Mr Lambert said "things are hard enough for us at the moment, without all these other hurdles", adding he had made staff redundant in order to keep trading.

"The town has been like a building site since January 2023 and it just goes on and on. The work is due to finish around October this year," he said.

To add to the problems, a 4m (13ft) void was recently found near a major crossroads, which will cause disruption for two weeks.

March has been suffering with roadworks for months

Mr Lambert added: "I have bought in lots of Mothers' Day gifts and card stock. I cannot send it back to the supplier, but I might be stuck with it because there are no shoppers.

"People are avoiding the town centre like the plague."

Elsewhere, Dave Lyons runs March Quality Meats. He said he had seen a big fall in customer numbers.

"I went from a seven-day-a-week operation to four-and-a-half days. It is not worth opening the doors," he said.

"I have had to think outside the box. I now offer deliveries and have pushed hard to increase my catering and corporate customers."

Butcher Dave Lyons has reduced his opening days due to the lack of customers

At a charity shop, a volunteer said donations were greatly reduced due to the roadworks hampering drop-off opportunities.

Further along Broad Street, Kleanco dry cleaners said it would shut for good this month.

A worker there said business had "dwindled", adding that "many customers cannot access the shop easily by car, and do not want a long walk carrying heavy dry cleaning items".

In a statement, Fenland District Council said: "We can understand the frustration and disruption caused by the ongoing roadworks in March town centre but want to reassure residents that they are progressing on schedule, notwithstanding the unforeseen emergency closure of the Dartford Road and Broad Street junction.

"Works to transform Broad Street will bring a raft of improvements to the town centre, including reducing congestion and improving traffic flow. Its future potential has already resulted in two major retailers, Card Factory and Poundstretcher, opening new branches.

"The Market Place regeneration, completed in January 2023, has also improved the appearance and car park layout of the Market Place and enhanced its position as a key community space."