Cafe boss fears drop in trade after road closure

The closure of a major commuter road could cut a cafe's trade by 40 per cent, according to its manager.

Eastern Road, a key route into Portsmouth, is closed southbound between the junctions of Burrfields Road and Hayling Avenue for up to eight weeks for repairs to a burst sewer main.

Serena Osborn, the manager of Beeny's Coffee, in Tangier Road, said the works would cause "absolute bedlam" and have a significant impact on the cafe's trade.

Southern Water has apologised for any inconvenience caused by the works, which it said required "significant excavations".

Osborn said: "It's going to cause a lot of upset and there will be a lot of angry people around.

"All our local builders and merchants will not be able to get to us and that's a real shame.

"When we had major roadworks before it did cause problems and I feel this is going to cause a lot more. With the schools going back as well, it's going to be horrendous

"No one's going to queue up to get to a local area just because they need to get some food. They're going to go straight past it and go somewhere else."

She predicted that the cafe would lose 40 per cent of its trade for the duration of the closure.

Diversions are being put in place with drivers urged to use alternative routes.

The road has experienced multiple issues with its sewage system in recent years.

in 2024 more than 1,000m of pipe from Farlington roundabout to beyond Anchorage Road was relined by Southern Water after frequent sewer bursts, leaks and flooding.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: "The long-term £2.5m solution will strengthen Portsmouth's pipeline, using innovative lining technology to future-proof this section of the city's sewer network for years to come.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience caused and would like to thank the people of Portsmouth for their ongoing support and understanding."

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.