Fears over roadworks

Town councillors are concerned about traffic chaos which is likely to continue over the summer months.

Traffic is currently down to one lane as work is done to repair Stourport Bridge, and this will continue until August.

Water company Severn Trent is due to dig up the road to lay pipes along Bridge Street after that.

And Worcestershire County Council is due to repair parts of the road surface which have worn away. That work won't be completed until October.

Owner of Allcock Outdoor Store, David Allcock, said: "I'm extremely fed up. The roadworks have been going on since November.

"It has definitely affected trade.

"People come to Stourport in the summer. But if word gets about that people are just stuck in traffic they might go somewhere else."

Pete Roberts, of Pete's Prints, said: "There can be problems. I haven't seen a traffic warden in the town for six months and we were promised action to stop illegal parking while the bridge work took place.

"I'm still waiting to find out how bad it will be when Severn Trent come. But it will be a nuisance."

Town councillor David Little said he was concerned that people would stay away.

"Obviously the work has to be done but there are fears people will get snarled up in traffic and won't come back again.

"We don't know the impact but it's only got to happen once that someone gets stuck and they won't come back."

Local Policing Officer Pc Jon Harris said traffic wardens and officers would be keeping an eye on roads such as York Street, where problems caused by parking and congestion had been reported.