Businesses and residents affected by the closure of the B5066 Sandon Road are calling for the route to be reopened or for the plans to be changed.
The road, in Hopton, is closed between its junction with Beaconside and Hopton Garage, with works currently set to continue until 5 May 2027.
The closure is causing a nine mile diversion through Weston, adding around 15 minutes to journeys.
A petition calling for Sandon Road to be reopened, or for the closure plan to be changed, has been signed by more than 1,300 people and can be viewed online.
The petition states
“This decision to close the Sandon Road, is set to continue for the next year, and it threatens not only to disrupt daily life but also places an undue burden on both residents and local businesses.
“Local businesses, which form the backbone of our economy, are already feeling the effect of this proposed plan. The loss of customer footfall means a reduction. These potential losses are detrimental not only to the business owners but also to those who rely on these jobs to support their families.”
Sandon Road is home to 15 small local businesses which are expected to be affected by the roadworks.
One of those businesses is The Dog and Doublet Inn, an independent, family run pub in Sandon.
Manager Chris Lewis said he understood the need for development, but said there should be a support package for businesses affected by the disruption. The pub has seen a 20 per cent reduction in business as customers are unable to drive to the pub.
He said
“We’ve got a steady trade who are fighting their way through the diversion but it is very difficult. Along this road are small independent businesses and there is no support package available or no reduction in rates.
“People who rely on us for their jobs are now having to travel twice the distance to get to us. This is a major disruption that is set to last until next year.”
Patrick Allen, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet support member for highways, said
“We understand the frustrations any roadworks bring, especially when they are longer running as developer projects often are. We know this scheme is causing particular concern and we will work with the developer to mitigate the impact as much as we can.
“While the ongoing operation and management of the works are wholly the responsibility of the developer, we will continually monitor and review plans on our road network.
“We are now drawing up a memorandum of understanding with Bloor Homes to ensure they have a defined communications schedule with residents and businesses, offering support wherever possible, and doing all they can to minimise the inevitable disruption.”
A spokesperson for Bloor Homes said the Beaconside development would deliver 2,000 homes, new primary and secondary schools, a flood storage area and other local infrastructure improvements.
The spokesperson said
“We are confident that existing businesses will benefit from the new development at Beaconside and will form an important part of that new community. We understand the concerns of local businesses and residents during the works and thank them for their patience.
“We are taking a proactive, joined up approach to the necessary works, and working very closely with our partners to ensure the building work, traffic management and utility connection works are done one after the other. This will significantly reduce disruption for the longer term.
“Bloor Homes have been responsive to the needs of businesses and residents and have communicated with our neighbours throughout the works. We have also met with local representatives to discuss their concerns, and where possible will mitigate the effects of works by installing signs stating that local businesses are still operating.
“We have been engaging with Staffordshire County Council, Stafford Council and community representatives to ensure local residents and businesses are kept up to date with the plans and timeline. Working with partners at the County Council, residents and businesses will continue to be informed throughout as the County Council takes forward the remainder of the works at Sandon Road.”
