00:00Ageing water pipes in Walsall, Dudley and Samwell are being repaired as part of a multi-million pound major improvement scheme by Southstaff's Water.
00:10Crews are targeting area of the network which have a history of pipes bursting or leaking.
00:15Amongst them is here in Stafford Street at Walsall, a sinkhole developed in 2020 resulting in the road being shut for three weeks.
00:24Work this time to replace the mains began on July 22nd and is expected to last until the end of August.
00:32There's diversions on the buses and disruption for motorists on the busy trading street with business owners saying their footfall is affected.
00:43We spoke to the owner of Russell Cycles here who didn't want to go on camera but she said her customers had complained how hard it is currently to access the shop.
00:54I'm here with Jeevan Singh who runs a business or two businesses on Stafford Street, VMS and Vehicle Hire and Property isn't it?
01:03Just tell us a little bit about that.
01:05Yeah so we're an accident management company and we've also got an estate agency property local here and VMS.
01:12There's some road works going on outside on the main road.
01:15So the property wise it's just affected a bit of the footfall.
01:19Customers coming in and obviously seeing the staff regarding any available lets and sales.
01:24With our sales on the accident side we have access to our gates so we have constant vehicles coming in and out.
01:29So it's just been a bit difficult turning the vehicles around, getting them into the yard.
01:34In regards to our chauffeur vehicles which I've explained to you guys, we're having to keep them on the main road because we can't get them inside the gates.
01:41We do obviously high value vehicles as well so it's a bit of a nuisance to local footpath and stuff like that but there's nothing else we can do at the minute.
01:48Yeah and you mentioned parking as well, is that always an issue anyway around here?
01:51Yeah parking is a bit of an issue around here.
01:54Regarding our staff vehicles we have off-site parking but normally it's quite busy regarding the parking here.
01:58There's a lot of double yellows and restrictions but I guess that's like a council issue.
02:02There's nothing we can do about that but just tell our customers to be careful.
02:05Yeah and it's been about a week that the work started, probably going to be another three weeks I think.
02:12They're told us six weeks in total.
02:14Six weeks in total, that's quite a long time isn't it?
02:16Yes a long time yeah.
02:17So it's affecting us, a lot of the corner businesses such as the news agents and stuff have been affected as well because they're not getting any footfall basically.
02:24And we're here with Karam Javid of Chicken Palace here on Stafford Street.
02:30Now you have told me off the camera that your business has been affected quite significantly since the road work started.
02:37Yes it is affected because number one we lost all the footwell, number two is already we got problem for the parking and now is one way and now we got more trouble.
02:50Every day people boom the car to each other and block the hallway and nobody likes to walk around here no more.
02:59Yeah and before the road works did you get a lot of people walking around different times of the day?
03:06Yeah we always have a when the school finish like at three o'clock the people used to walk in.
03:15Now there's no school but still people come to enjoy our food and combs because they put this too many stands, too many signs on the footwell.
03:25Yeah.
03:25Now especially the ladies with the proms, they're difficult to walk around here.
03:32And it's going to be...
03:33Especially elderly people.
03:34Yeah.
03:35With the...
03:36We got a few elderly people and disabled people come on the wheelchairs and it's more than two weeks now, I haven't seen them.
03:45To coming into my business are walking around here.
03:50And the road works are going to be around four, another four weeks at least, so...
03:54Yeah, they are here till 31st of August.
03:58Yeah.
03:59So what are you going to do to try and boost trade in that time or is there anything you can do?
04:04To be honest, oh, what I can do if I can contact the council but I don't think so they're doing anything because we make a few noises.
04:14We went to our councillor, he goes, he will speak to someone but we got no response.
04:20I think it's the water company as well fixing your drain so long term I guess you're going to see the benefit but short term you're suffering with it.
Be the first to comment