Water lot of disruption! Business owners in Walsall street on edge of town centre have their say on maintenance work

As work continues on an £84m major improvement scheme by South Staffs Water to repair ageing pipes in Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall, residents of one street in the latter have had their say.

Work started in Stafford Street, close to the Walsall College and the ring road on July 22 and is expected to last until the end of the month.

Here a sinkhole developed in 2020 resulting in the road being shut for three weeks followed by an unconnected burst main pipe which was blamed on dry conditions creating movement in the ground.

So it can be argued the work needs to be done. But in an already congested and narrow street with limited parking, the one way system and temporary lights is causing some headaches for the many business owners on the street, which vary from bike shops to estate agents and hairdressers to restaurants.

The first person we spoke to was the owner of popular Russell Cycles who didn't want to be photographed but said trade had fallen considerably in the first week of the work going ahead and she had received negative feedback about access to the shop.