‘THE ROAD SHUT TWO WEEKS BACK, WITH NOTHING DONE SINCE’
Traders angry at lack of progress on cordoned off building
TRADERS say no work has been carried out on a ‘potentially dangerous’ building that caused a road to be closed two weeks ago.
Stoke-on-trent City Council shut off Market Street, in Longton, on September 15, and a diversion route was put in place.
Metal fencing was also placed around Cobra Vape E-liquids, Brighter Ways Mobility Centre and Longton International Minimarket.
But more than a fortnight later, nothing has changed and traders say they still don’t know when the road will reopen.
Louise Newton owns MLDC Dance Studio, on Market Street, and says her dancers have been forced to find somewhere else to park.
The 43-year-old said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. People who come to my classes range from young children to adults and they have now got to park elsewhere. It’s not right and something needs to be done.
“The dark nights are coming in now and it’s not nice for our staff or customers who now have to walk to their cars with young children in the dark.
“Some of our classes don’t finish until 8pm and it’s pitch black by then.
“It’s not nice walking around Longton at that time with everything that’s been happening.
“It will put off any new people wanting to come to my classes if they can’t even get here, they won’t bother turning up.
“The road has been closed for two weeks and nothing has been done since. All they have done is block the road. It’s a big inconvenience.
“This could go on for a long time, I can’t see the road opening imminently. I haven’t seen anyone there looking at the building, they’ve just cordoned it off. It needs to be sorted as soon as possible.”
Sarko Ali owns Minimarket, on Market Street, and says his trade has reduced by 50 per cent due to the road closure.
The 38-year-old said: “We haven’t been told anything about when the road will reopen. I’ve called the council and they said there’s nothing they can do as the building is privately owned and they can’t get in touch with the landlord.
“But my trade is down between 25 and 50 per cent. We’ve been affected by coronavirus and now this.
“It’s very bad because we don’t have any passing trade now because people can’t pull up.
“The council could at least open one side of the road.”
The Sentinel has contacted the council for a statement regarding the latest on the road closure and the building.