Village stores hit hard by road closures in Wye Valley (cloned)

A VILLAGE stores is one of many businesses feeling the impact of the ongoing road closures across the Lower Wye Valley.

Rock netting undertaken by Gloucestershire highways is taking place on the A466 Wye Valley road from the Chepstow side of Redbrook to just before Bigsweir Bridge.

But shareholder and director of Redbrook Village Stores, Yasmin Tyler, described the lack of signage saying they were still open and accessible as ‘absolutely diabolical’, with highways signs outside Monmouth’s Lidl store only saying the road ahead is closed.

Businesses recently gathered at the Wye Valley Hotel in Tintern to discuss the effect the closures have had on footfall, which began at the end of May, with many raising concerns over the signage.

Around 25 representatives from Redbrook, Tintern and Llandogo met to discuss the impact of the ongoing works and the extension of the closure until the end of July.

Businesses say the signs fail to make it clear that many shops remain open and accessible, and they have suffered significant losses in trade of “up to 40-50 per cent”.

“We know these things have to be done, but to just close the road like that, the impact it’s had on our little business is just under half, I think,” said Yasmin.

“All that trade we’re missing, we’ve still got to employ people who work in the shop, pay wages.

“I have still got all the expenses going out but nothing coming in.”

The store has since put its own sign outside the village shop and one near Lidl to reassure customers they are still open.

“Customers have been so good, they have been coming in and buying a bit more than they usually do,” she added.

Business owners’ frustration has grown following the extension of the road closures from July 17 to July 31, with many fearing the loss of trade could really hit them.

“The signage at first was absolutely diabolical, you got to Lidl and they thought you couldn’t come through to Redbrook,” said Yasmin.

The signage was so confusing that even delivery drivers weren’t able to to drop off deliveries to the shop because they thought the road was closed, which had a further impact on the shop because they didn’t have the supply they needed.

“It was absolute bedlam for the first few weeks,” added Yasmin.

“We had to reorder everything. They couldn’t get through because the signage didn’t say road through to Redbrook, so that really had a massive impact.

Howard Hancocks, one of the eight directors of Redbrook Village Stores, added: “We took over the stores in 2010 when it was going bankrupt and it’s been a thriving business ever since, but this road closure has decimated turnover.”

A lot of the businesses in Redbrook are independent, with some including: The Bell Inn and Bush House Osteopathic Practice.

While traders understand the need for essential maintenance, they believe clearer signage could have reduced the impact on local businesses, some which rely heavily on passing trade such as tourists passing through.

And with the closures now extended until the end of the month, businesses say they need the community’s help more than ever.