THE siege of Lydney is due to be lifted – but it will do nothing to cool the tempers of the town's High Street traders who say they have been treated like dirt by Severn Trent.
The water company moved in to replace rusting iron mains on May 11. The job was going to take four weeks ... but it has gone on and on.
Severn Trent admitted this week they were four weeks behind schedule, having been hampered by "complex ground conditions."
A spokesman told the Review: "We were surprised at what we found. There are old gas pipes, cables and a host of other things in a very tight space and we had to avoid them all.
"Historically this is the main road into Wales and it was also used as the main cable and pipe highway. There are a lot of disused and abandoned pipes down there."
Offering an apology for the extended delay, the spokesman said the High Street work would end this week. Contractors would then move on to Church Road. It was anticipated that all the major work would be completed by July 31.
Meanwhile business people say they have been largely ignored. "We have had to beg claim forms for compensation. They seem to regard them rather like their workmen–in short supply and only to be used sparingly!", said Neil Parkhouse, of the Archive Shop.
Mr Parkhouse said some businesses had seen their turnover drop by 80 per cent.
"Lydney currently has a good array of shops selling all manner of things you wouldn't necessarily expect to find in a town of its size, but one or two have definately had their futures jeopardised by the cavalier way this work has been carried on. They could well find themselves in a hole," he said.
Other traders have slammed the works schedule as unacceptable. They say work was being carried on in several places at the same time causing maximum inconvenience.
"They have dug up the same places twice, they have had traffic lights operating in some of the most difficult places for days on end, signage has been inadequate and jobs have taken weeks longer than they were supposed to. It seems every effort has been made to dig up as many places as possible at the same time," said a trader.
Bus company operator James Bevan has also criticised the work.
He said he had hoped there would be contingency plans for traffic management, but no-one seemed bothered.
Mr Parkhouse said a former town councillor had asked him: "Can one company possibly have caused more disruption in a small town, anywhere, ever?"