A BRADFORD on Avon businesswoman fearing bankruptcy after prolonged roadworks on the edge of the town says she feels ‘trapped’, after more road closures hit her business last week.

Westdale Park Home and Garden Centre, which is home to eight businesses, feels it has virtually been cut off from customers since May, costing the owners more than £70,000 in business. The 20-week closure of Holt Road is needed while a roundabout to the new Kingston Farm development is built.

Now the centre’s livid co-owner, Tricia Clarke, 60, has also had to contend with Cemetery Lane and Woolley Street being closed, meaning she has to drive nearly four miles instead of a few hundred yards just to get to the town centre.

Mrs Clarke is furious about the lack of information from developers C G Fry & Sons, saying they did not know who to call about the road closures and that there were no specific warning signs put up.

“I am so sick of all of them, it is beyond a joke. I think we should be compensated for what they are doing. C G Fry, Hooke Highways and Wiltshire Council have not helped in the slightest. I do not know how much longer we can survive this,” said Mrs Clarke, who moved to the centre 43 years ago.

“I am feeling trapped. I am having to drive nearly four miles extra compared what was a few hundred yards to get to the town centre. I want to know what on earth is going on before they bankrupt us, or is that their intention?

“Now that Woolley Street is closed too it takes me at least 20 minutes to pick up my granddaughter, six-year-old Freya, for school every day.

“Last week one of the developer’s lorries reversed into my fence but denied it and a few days ago my daughter-in-law was stuck for ages behind two lorries that got stuck so she could not even go home.”

The George pub in Woolley Street says it has seen its lunchtime trade fall by 50 per cent and The Beeches Farmhouse B&B in Holt Road has also been hit hard by the closures.

The Beeches owner Pauline Stanley said: “It really is horrendous. Even the recession did not hit us nearly as hard as this. We were not told about the closures at all – it is a huge inconvenience.”

Customers wanting to get to businesses on Holt Road, and the people who live and work there, now have to drive along the road towards Holt, up through Woolley Green to the Leigh Park crossroads and then down Masons Lane to reach the town centre. Daytime traffic is heavy, and rush hour queues are causing none-to-tail traffic on that side of town.

Estate developers C G Fry & Son were unavailable for comment this week, while Hooke Highways, which has provided the signs, said it was the responsibility of the developers and Wiltshire Council to talk to the businesses concerned.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “Our role has been to agree adjustments to the public highway, traffic management proposals – such as diversion routes and signing, and to monitor the progress of the works and ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.

“We are happy to speak with any businesses affected to discuss any issues they may have and try to mitigate the impact of the works where possible.”

Despite the road closure chaos, a Civil War reenactment, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors, will still go ahead on July 30-31 - even though that will involve closing the Town Bridge for 15 minutes on both days during a mock battle.

Bradford Town Council have been working on a traffic plan for the event since March, covering signs, road closures and crossing and notifying local people, firms and bus and taxi companies.

Two weeks before the event signs warning of delays will be put on the outskirts of the town on the main approach roads, and during the weekend marshals will be on duty advising drivers of delays and suggesting alternative routes.