'Staff in tears and shops haemorrhaging money': South London street's pedestrianisation may kill shops

South London businesses fear they won't survive 'nightmare' works to permanently pedestrianise their street. Business owners on Old York Road in Wandsworth said the extensive works have put people off from visiting the street, left staff in tears and led to a drop in sales.

Wandsworth Council is replacing pavements, road and planters to make the pedestrianisation of Old York Road permanent, after it was introduced as a trial during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The construction work started on September 30 and is moving east along the road towards its junction with Ferrier Street. It is expected to last until autumn next year.

Labour councillor Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said the works will make the street more attractive to visitors once completed. She added the council has worked hard to minimise disruption to businesses, including by keeping as much of the pavements open as possible, handing out leaflets and carrying out in-person visits.

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But business owners told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) there has been a lack of communication from the council about the works. They called for more information and support as they raised concerns about the impact of the disruption on their future.

Emma Thomas, 33, owns Bramble & Willow florist at the top of Old York Road, where the works started in September. "The noise in itself has just been unbelievable," she told the LDRS. "Clients come in and hold their ears because it's so noisy, so of course poor staff working there have been really struggling."

Ms Thomas said she is 'haemorrhaging money' as weeks of narrowed pavements, loud drilling and construction 'mess' outside her flower shop has led to a drop in sales. This compounds the difficulties independent businesses like hers are already facing, she added, particularly as she relies on walk-ins. Documents seen by the LDRS show the shop's takings in October were nearly half that of the previous year.

Ms Thomas said she is particularly upset by the council's lack of communication with businesses about the 'nightmare' works. She said: "The high street is struggling, everyone knows the high streets are struggling, and to implement something like this and just to not have considered or planned to assist businesses... is bonkers."

She added: "We're all feeling very frustrated and unheard. I think it's the lack of empathy when it's literally your livelihood at stake."

Businesses further up the street said they are also worried for the future as the construction work progresses. Cafés and restaurants including Little Frenchies will have their outdoor seating temporarily removed when these parts of the street are resurfaced.

Hannah Fairgrieve, 38, who owns Little Frenchies, told the LDRS she is dreading the works and needs more information to prepare. She said: "If you have an independent business, you have to staff it or else you're going to lose your staff.

"You have to also be wise financially, like 'do I need two staff in, do I need one staff'? Realistically, be honest, [tell us] how long is it going to go on for so maybe we close the kitchen three days a week - just stuff that you can put in place."

Naomi Ellis, 48, who owns Anthology, also feels the council has not shown consideration for the impact on businesses. She said: "Nobody has come to see me. Nobody has emailed me to tell me what actually is going to happen and how access is going to be given to my shop and how long it will be outside the shop."

Ms Ellis said: "I'm genuinely worried, after every single difficulty that every business has been through on this street. It's really tough trading at the moment, really tough, and it's on the back of recession, pandemic… we've gone into this beaten down."

She added: "It's really unbelievably difficult at the moment for small independent retailers on the high street and then this is just the kick in the teeth. I do wonder which one of us will survive."

Councillor Yates told the LDRS the council is 'committed to ensuring that the works are carried out efficiently, with minimal disruption to the day-to-day life of the borough'. She said: "Old York Road is a vital part of Wandsworth's community and its commercial vitality.

"During the pandemic, the council closed this road to through traffic to create a unique shopping and leisure space. This trial proved popular with businesses and residents, and so the next stage of works is to make the scheme permanent, and repair, enhance, and protect the future of the road, helping to attract more visitors.

"We've worked hard to minimise disruption to local businesses while the works are ongoing, including keeping as much of the footways open as we possibly can, and alongside leaflet drops to the local area, we've carried out in-person visits to discuss any concerns. This reconstruction project represents a significant investment in Wandsworth's infrastructure."

Got a story? Email charlotte.lillywhite@reachplc.com

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