'Railway and cycle lane roadworks are costing us trade' say struggling Willenhall businesses
Businesses in Willenhall town centre say roadworks and bus diversions on two main roads have put off shoppers, resulting in a dip in trade.
Traders and shoppers said the road closures, one-way routes and traffic diversions for work to build the new railway station off Bilston Street and to install a cycle lane between New Road and the A454 Keyway Island were taking its toll.
But Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said the two different sets of roadworks, which have seen several hundred yards of safety barriers installed along the two main roads and some side streets, will be short-term inconveniences with long-term benefits for the town's economy.
Labour's Willenhall South ward representative Councillor Simran Cheema described the situation as "bad planning" on the part of the council's Tory leadership, while several businesses told the Express & Star the situation was the worst they had experienced in the formerly thriving industrial town, long known for its lockmaking heritage.
Proprietor of Willenhall Hardware Keith Mason said: "We cannot get potholes fixed, but the council is putting in lanes for push bikes. Very few people cycle lanes round here.
"A really wide cycle lane was put in Wolverhampton Road West in Bentley and nobody seems to be using it. It would have been better to create a dual carriageway running towards the M6, or spend the money on increasing police presence to tackle crime.
"I've been here 24 years and trade is just getting worse. In my experience June, July and August are the profitable months for the business, but summer trade this year has been the worst so far in that time. We can't make a living like this.
