THE FUTURES of eight Bradford on Avon businesses are in jeopardy due to the 20-week long closure of Holt Road which has virtually cut off access to them.

The very existence of Westdale Park Home and Garden Centre is threatened due to the construction of a roundabout on the B3107, preventing easy access for customers to the centre until September – a time period where they draw in the bulk of the year’s revenue.

Westdale Nursery, Fairfield garden centre, a sewing business, a pet crematorium, a keep fit business, a hairdressers, a kitchen unit supplier, and a café make up the two-acre site, which, according to co-owner Tricia Clarke, could lose up to £60,000 from the nosedive in business.

“This is just a disaster and I do not know what to do. This has been very badly planned, co-ordinated and handled. We were kept in the dark until two weeks ago, it is an absolute joke and it affects so many people,” said Mrs Clarke, 60, who moved to the site 43 years ago.

“The next few months are our most profitable time of the year. If it was in July-August time we would have had got some trade in. It should be packed right now and because of this it is almost the opposite.

“Nobody knows how to get to us now that the road from Springfield to Cemetery Road is shut. This is my life, my livelihood and it could be taken away from me and us all.”

This is not the first time the site has faced an uncertain future as 12 years ago Mrs Clarke had to re-mortgage the place due to a 15-week+ road closure of the Holt Road to fix its drainage problems.

However Mrs Clarke and her husband Charlie, who are also angered at the lack of notice for the roadworks, are not contemplating that this time around.

“We survived last time by re-mortgaging but that is not an option for us right now at our ages of 60 and 65. I cannot keep doing that, it is not realistic,” said Mrs Clarke, who has seven kids and 18 grandchildren.

“I rang Trowbridge’s County Hall and spoke to the highways team and they knew nothing about it. Five phone calls later I find out it is Hook Highways doing the works.

“I am not against the development but they could at least explain it to us and make access easier, it is a very uncertain time for us and all the tenants.

“I still have business rates to pay and insurance but if there are no customers what can we do? The café has already closed down, others could follow.

“A lot of gardening stuff is perishable stock with a shelf life of three months. What is more, is that this is putting off potential buyers - there is no way we will get compensation for this, it is all a mess.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “These works are being undertaken by the developer as part of the new housing development

“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.”