Sutton Council roadworks slammed by businesses

Beddington Lane in Sutton is expected to finally reopen this weekend, but owners fear customers have now gone elsewhere for good.

The road, at the junction with Marlow Way next to Asda, has been closed off since January.

Businesses in Beddington Trading Park, close to the closure claim it has put off customers coming from that side of the road who would have to take a detour of at least 10 minutes.

Plumbers’ merchants, Williams Trade Supplies, has been impacted by the disruption. 

Manager Kevin Mulvey said: “I’ve been here just over a year and there is always disruption down this road. There has been no communication between the council and any of us here.

The manager of Williams Trade Supplies in Beddington, Kevin Mulvey (photo: Tara O'Connor)

“We have lost a substantial amount and we are losing customers left right and centre.

"We’ve been trying to keep a lot of customers happy so we’ve got another van at our cost to do deliveries. It is costing us an absolute fortune.

“We had no idea it was going to happen, one day we got told by a customer the road is closed.

"Nobody has told us when it is going to end. We were originally told it was an eight week project. 

"They worked there for three weeks then nobody has been there for three months.”

He was also concerned about the safety of the road works as there are numerous holes along Beddington Lane and he said it had become a “dumping ground” for fly-tipping.

Sutton Council claims it updated businesses in March that the works would be extended from eight to 28 weeks and installed “prominent road signage”.

But those on the trading estate that spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service all said they had heard nothing.

Tony Labbdia is one of the directors at Bromley Timber which has been in the estate for 10 years.

He said: “This road is constantly being dug up, I understand we need road improvements but this has been really unreasonable. I’m even more frustrated as ‘ve emailed the council and my local MP and never had a response.

“This has been going on for six months and for the last three months we haven’t seen anyone working there.

"This estate is usually buzzing. We are traditionally very busy we get 30-50 customers a day coming in now it is 10-20 and it has been for quite a while.

"We are a very personable business we know our the majority of our customers on first name terms.”

Mr Labbdia estimates the business could have lost up to £75,000 a month with the reduction of customers coming in.

But he said the business is able to keep going with the delivery side of the business.

Callton Plastics, which is owned by Croydon Mayor Jason Perry has also seen  a downturn in customers coming in.

Sales manager Neil Jalfon said: “We have a lot of customers that come from that side [of the roadworks] and there is a competitor on that side. Business is certainly affected but it is hard to gauge how much.”

While Justin Blay, sales manager for Labels Express, Justin Blay, said there have been so many roadworks outside the trading estate he has given up contacting Sutton Council for updates as he’s had no luck in the past.

He said: “It means later deliveries or failed deliveries, when that happens it affects our customers and the manufacturing.

"We’ve been here almost 40 years and that road has been closed many times, it happens every two or three years.”

Sutton Council’s  director of environment, housing and neighbourhoods said the work will make the are safer and help “regenerate the area”.

He said it will be reopened on Saturday, July 31.

He said: “Throughout the process, we have worked hard to keep the local community and businesses up to date on developments.

"We first wrote to local residents and businesses in December prior to the start of the works in January.

"And we are writing to local residents and businesses this week to ensure they have all of the essential information they need regarding continuing improvement works in the area once the road closure is lifted on July 31.”