TWO businesses whose trade has been badly hit because of roadworks believe a home developer's 'indifference' threatens them with closure.

Passing trade has virtually come to a halt for Riverside Garden Centre and John Lawson Distributors Ltd since Branch Road at Ewood was cordoned off by Morris Homes to carry out drainage work for Oakdale, a development site on Cravens Brow.

Access is still open to part of Branch Road where the businesses are situated. But a 'Road Closed' sign erected by Morris Homes on the Lower Darwen approach turns away motorists.

Val Ikin, who runs Riverside Garden Centre, said business was down by a massive 98 per cent and she had sold just a tray of pansies after the road was closed on Monday.

She said: "Business is completely dead. I started up 18 months ago and still rely heavily on passing trade. If people think the road is closed because of the signs, they will go elsewhere.

"These roadworks will wreck our business. People will find somewhere else to go and it will take ages to get the customers back, if we get them back at all." She added: "I am disgusted with Morris Homes. They are going to make a lot of money from the development but are not concerned about other businesses.

"It wouldn't have been out of their way for them to give us notice of what was happening then we could have arranged our own signs."

John Lawson, who runs John Lawson fasteners, tools and engineer hardware, said: "The number of people coming into the trade counter is less than 60 per cent.

"Morris Homes could have worked it better by making the road one way or putting up signs to tell them there is access to our businesses, even though the road is closed."

Kevin Farrington, technical director for Morris Homes, said the company had complied with the highways regulations.

He said it was impossible to make the road one way due to the danger of a high pressure gas main.

He added that if the businesses contacted the company he would make steps to alter the signing to indicate access to the traders.

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