Bosses of a group of city businesses claim they have missed out on around £10,000 of earnings due to roadworks.
Hellesdon Barns has just started its busiest time of the year, so co-owner Magnolia Assis-Millbank and the other five businesses which run from the venue were shocked to find that cars were being diverted away from them.
It was announced that Hellesdon Hall Road was to close between Monday, June 5, and Friday, June 9, for Norfolk County Council-led roadworks, which included repairing walls along the road.
READ MORE: ‘Hellesdon Hall Road closure is devastating for businesses’
Magnolia and the other businesses say they had no warning - but the county council insist they were informed.
She said: “We don’t feel like the council work with small businesses. We weren’t informed about the closure and there was no signage to say we are open as usual.
“I tried to speak to them about the issues this gave us but it felt like we were going round in circles.”
Magnolia thinks that during the closure the six businesses combined have lost around £10,000 and that upon speaking to the council, there is no compensation that they are able to claim.
She said: “It could have worked for everyone if they put a traffic light there instead of closing the road, or just made people aware that we were still trading.
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“But it just felt like they didn’t care. When I complained I was told ‘it is only five days’ but five days of lost earnings through our busiest season is a lot.”
Customers had to go via Hellesdon to the north or use Dereham Road to get to Hellesdon Road from the south, cutting off traffic directly from Sweet Briar Road.
The road was re-opened two days early on June 7.
A county council spokesman said: “The works on Hellesdon Hall Road were carried out by contractors on behalf of a private client, and have been planned for some time.
"Notice was given to all premises directly affected in writing. In addition, advance signing was erected."
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