Fury at car park works

Angry traders in Bewdley claim they will lose vital business when a popular car park is closed for essential resurfacing.

Shopkeepers across the town say they will be hit hard when engineers move onto Dog Lane car park on Monday, January 15. They are set to carry out a week of work to repair the worn out top surface of the 250-place car park.

Traffic will be diverted through the town to the smaller Gardeners Meadow car park which only has spaces for around 80 cars.

But traders say office workers will snap up the majority of spaces early doors leaving shoppers nowhere to park.

There are limited spaces in Load Street which give shoppers up to 30 minutes free parking.

And the work could not have come at a worse time for traders who have been hit hard by the recent flood defence work which has disrupted traffic.

The council says it has researched the shopping patterns in the town and January is the quietest time of the year.

And as Dog Lane car park only has one way in and out there was no other option than to close for a week.

The president of Bewdley Chamber of Trade Don Roles said: "Traders are really angry about this. We were just getting back on our feet after the disruption caused by the flood defence work and now they close the busiest car park in the town.

"January is an important month for us and now we face a depleted sales."

Wyre Forest council's head of cultural and leisure services, Andrew Dickens said: "There was no alternative for this work. It had to be carried out now before it got any worse as the top surface is wearing away. As there is only one entrance and exit we have to close the car park. We apologise for the inconvenience."

By Sol Buckner