ROAD CLOSURE COST US A GRAND IN FIVE DAYS

Struggling village businesses say they are being financially crippled because of a road closure.
Traffic travelling from Lincoln to Bardney via Fiskerton cannot drive through the village this week and next because safety work is being carried out on cycle routes.

Instead, motorists wanting to travel from Fiskerton to Short Ferry – normally a trip of the three miles – must now undertake a 14-mile diversion.

 The owners of Fiskerton’s three businesses – the village pub, post office and shop – say Lincolnshire County Council did not even have the courtesy of writing to them personally to tell them the roadworks were to begin on Monday.

The owners of Wishing Well Stores in Ferry Road, Steve and Rachel Rousseau, say they have lost £1,000 in takings since the weekend.

Mrs Rousseau (38) says the council has shown no consideration for others while looking after its own interests by allowing its subsidised buses to travel through Fiskerton using a traffic light system.

“The council makes sure it looks after itself but any other business has to suffer,” she said.

“Although people in the village can still get to us, the passing trade that we rely on can’t get to us.”

Mr Rousseau (38) added: “It would be nice if there was some recompense.

“We have enough trouble with major supermarkets bussing people out of the village each week without losing passing trade.”

Fiskerton’s sub-postmaster Lester Tyler (55) said: “We have lost hundreds of pounds in turnover.

“Out of courtesy it would have been nice for someone from the highways to write to us business people.

“As buses are allowed to go through the village I don’t see why the cars cannot tail them.”

Landlady of the Carpenter’s Arms in Fiskerton, Dot McCarthy, said they had lost £300 in trade so far this week.

“We did read about the roadworks in the Echo but I do think we should have been written to personally.”

Alan Brown, area highways manager at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Premises or businesses in Fiskerton were not contacted directly since their access to and from Lincoln remained unaffected.

“Much thought was given to the issue of how we maintain the buslink and it was agreed a limited number of buses would be allowed through.”

Mr Brown added: “Allowing one vehicle through these works already causes a major disruption, so allowing a line of vehicles through would only compound the disruption.”