A beauty firm whose business was badly affected by the six-month-long Castle Street improvement works has been forced to close its doors.

Customers of Bare Laser Ltd, which offered lips, lines and laser hair removal treatment services, found its premises closed on February 15 and a notice in the window.

Wiltshire Times: Bare Laser has been forced to close its doors in Castle Street, Trowbridge. Image: Trevor Porter 70610-1Bare Laser has been forced to close its doors in Castle Street, Trowbridge. Image: Trevor Porter 70610-1 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The landlord of 44A and 44B Castle Street, formerly occupied by the beauty treatment salon, has posted an enforcement agent possession notice on the window.

The notice said: “Take notice that your landlord has this day exercised their right to instruct Certified Enforcement Agents to peaceably re-enter and take possession of this premises.

“Any lease or license is hereby determined. This property is now legally occupied by the landlords.

“Any attempt to break into this property will be classed as a criminal offence and will be reported to the police.”

Wiltshire Times: The landlord of 44A and 44B Castle Street, formerly occupied by the Bare Laser beauty treatment salon, has posted an enforcement agent possession notice posted on the window. Image: Trevor Porter 70610-2The landlord of 44A and 44B Castle Street, formerly occupied by the Bare Laser beauty treatment salon, has posted an enforcement agent possession notice posted on the window. Image: Trevor Porter 70610-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Courtney Wicheard, the owner of Bare Laser, had complained that improvement works in Castle Street last year were badly impacting her business.

She said she had seen a 70 per cent drop-off in trade because of Future High Street Fund plans to improve access across Trowbridge for pedestrians and cyclists.

She said the footfall in Castle Street had plunged and that customers were missing and cancelling appointments because of town centre traffic issues.

Wiltshire Times: Courtney Wicheard, the owner of Bare Laser, said she had suffered a 70 per cent drop in trasde because of the Castle Street improvement works. Image: Trevor Porter 70206-2Courtney Wicheard, the owner of Bare Laser, said she had suffered a 70 per cent drop in trasde because of the Castle Street improvement works. Image: Trevor Porter 70206-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The works began on May 30 and lasted 26 weeks, during which time pavements were widened in places, paving slabs replaced and the road re-surfaced.

Work by Wessex Water to replace mains water pipes on the B3105 at Staverton had also affected her trade, with customers delayed by congestion, she said.

The Wiltshire Times has attempted to contact Miss Wicheard for a comment. 

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We are extremely saddened to hear of the closure of any business.

“We had made every effort to keep access to premises during the recent improvement works at Castle Street.

"Our contractor regularly liaised with all local businesses to keep them up to date, pedestrian access into businesses was maintained at all times, with a gatekeeper on site to assist with access needs and pedestrian access was available from local car parks.

"We also signposted Ms Wicheard to other avenues of support. These improvements have been successfully completed and all other businesses in the area remain open for business.”

Other Castle Street businesses, such as the Super Shine hand car wash, the Toy Shop and the Key Shop, as well as Alpha Taxis and the La Bella Café, also said trade had plunged during the works.

The Castle Street improvements were the second in a series of highway projects in Trowbridge that form part of the £16.3 million package of town centre improvements funded through the government's Future High Streets Fund.

The works in Castle Street were completed in November and Wiltshire Council has now started work in Fore Street, Manvers Street and Wicker Hill as part of the third phase of the improvements.