Firms 'struggling' after double blow of closures
BBCBusiness owners in part of Mansfield have said a double blow of closures have left them struggling for custom.
Stockwell Gate, a pedestrianised route into the town centre, was shut by the district council at the end of January to allow two bridges which contain asbestos to be removed.
This came just months after the partial collapse of Walkden Street car park forced a series of shops in the area to shut.
Shops on the wrong side of the closure said footfall had almost stopped and they had seen little help from officials. The council said it sympathised with businesses but safety had to be its priority.
A full closure, between Quaker Way and the Four Seasons Shopping Centre entrance, was needed to allow a "full controlled environment" for the works to the "ageing" bridges, the council said.
The bridge removals are part of ongoing work in the Stockwell Gate area and the creation of the Mansfield Connect building in the former Beales department store.
Jagdish Kaur, who has run the Ink and Candy shop for 12 years, said: "It has hit me really hard.
"No-one comes in now, I am just wasting my electricity and if I close, my stock will go out of date and I can't afford to start again.
"It is killing the shop and really upsetting. I work seven days a week from 05:30 in the morning and there is no business.
"The council haven't even spoken to me - they should give us compensation, the delivery vans can't make it to here."
Stitch Up haberdashery owner Shirlee Meads said: "It is only the second week and I'm already down on my profits and I think it will get worse because people will give up coming.
"Footfall has stopped because they can't get to us, other shops in the area have closed and there is no pram and wheelchair access because of steps in the way.
"The council have done some advertising saying we are open but that's no good because they can't get to us."
David Walker, the owner of Lounge and Bedroom Furniture Store, said: "It's been a nightmare.
"In August we had the collapse in the car park over the road which closed the shops in there, which has affected footfall dramatically.
"The pedestrian access to Mansfield town centre is now closed for five weeks and that has pushed it down even further.
"Walk in customers are now pretty much non existent and we are relying on people who know we are here.
"I would like more communication from the council - the first we knew about the closure was when the signs went up, so it's been hard to make plans."
Mansfield District Council said: "Safety has to be our overriding priority.
"We understand that reduced footfall is a worry for some businesses and we are committed to supporting them during the works.
"While there is no statutory provision for financial compensation in these circumstances we are doing everything we can to maintain access and visibility."
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