A BUSINESS owner has spoken out about the misery and financial loss he has suffered since traffic lights were introduced outside the Redrow housing development in Marlborough.

Temporary traffic lights are limiting the flow of traffic at the Salisbury Road roundabout until March 31, while building work begins on the new 172-home housing development called Marleberg Grange.

Mark Wilson runs Fraser Budgens petrol station in Hertford Road, off Salisbury Road, where drivers have reported delays of up to one hour getting in and out of the town.

Retail units, including Tesco, Screwfix and Vets4Pets, share the entrance into the trading estate with the filling station, with Mr Wilson saying that trade has been severely damaged because of delays for drivers.

He said: “I am appalled. We have put millions into marketing and building the business and all that has been washed away because of these works.

“Redrow come into the town, don’t contribute and it’s devastating to everyone on the trading estate.

“We didn’t know anything about the work. It is terrible. It could have all been avoided if they had done the work on the other side of the fence there.

“It is the small businesses that are hit the hardest.

“It is also creating more pollutants in the air because of the traffic being caused.”

Other business on the retail estate have been affected, and Karine White, owner of Vets4Pets is urging clients not to be put off visiting by the delays.

She said: “Yes, it is inconvenient and you may find a waiting room full of animals but our doors are open and we understand if some people might end up running late.”

Some firms have supported the need for work to be done in order to ensure the new development can go ahead. David Hewitt, director at Savernake Auto Services, said: “Yes, there has been traffic, but people have to accept that you can’t build a new housing estate without it having an impact.”

Matt Grayson, spokesman for Redrow South West, said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their patience whilst these temporary traffic arrangements are in place at Marleberg Grange.

“Offsite gas mains work was necessary ahead of any construction work taking place.”

Marlborough came to a standstill on Saturday while temporary traffic lights were operating in Herd Street, the A346 at Ogborne St Andrew and on Salisbury Road.

Gaye Denyer, of campaign group Marlborough Traffic Problems, said: “We need to go to the council individually about traffic problems to show them it has a real impact on people who live and work in Marlborough.”