Traders claim they have been badly hit by a £500,000 road improvement scheme.

They say business is down by as much as half because of roadworks at the Floral Clock in Church Road, Hove.

Work started in December to improve crossing facilities, reduce traffic speed and provide new street furniture.

Roadworks and water mains renewal by Southern Water have resulted in one side of the Floral Clock being closed to vehicles.

Traffic has been diverted and flows both ways on the southern side of the square.

Traders say they were initially told the work would last 12 weeks but say that has been extended until October.

Sharif Shehada, owner of the Good Taste Caf on the corner of Palmeira Square, said: "I have been here five years and until the work started business was very good.

"Now it is down by half and it is a disaster for me. It has altered my business completely.

"Normally I would be busy with people coming in for breakfast at this time of day but you can see there is nobody here.

"If you come here at lunchtime it is empty. It is very, very scary.

"I am seriously thinking about whether to carry on."

Martha Tiffin, who works at the flower stand outside St John's Church, said: "We have been affected and so have all the other traders.

"People used to be able to pull into the bay by the stand or queue nearby.

"Now they can't because the traffic is two-way and there is nowhere to stop.

"It is very noisy here now and you get near misses and buses taking out the cones because the corner is a bit too tight for them."

Lorraine Curry, 39, manageress of the Bona Foodie delicatessen and caf, said trade was down by about a third.

She said the impact on business was apparent almost as soon as the roadworks started.

She said: "Some of the regular customers have not been stopping because there is nowhere to park.

"The older customers say they have stopped coming because they have problems crossing the road because of all the traffic.

"Some of the improvements on the square will be fabulous when they are finished.

"But to be told that the work is now going on until October was quite a concern to us.

"We would normally expect things to pick up from the end of March, but they haven't at all.

"We have asked the council for a dispensation on our business rates but have been told there will not be one."

Andrew Philippou, partner in Hotheadz hair salon in Church Road, said trade was down by about 20 per cent.

He said: "Our customers say they find it a real hassle to get here now."

A scheme to improve traffic flow in the area was unveiled in 2003 and the layout approved last year after consultation with residents and traders.

Councillor Paul Elgood said he would support traders who wanted to claim a reduction in their business rates.

He said: "I am very angry at the way the council has managed the work which seems to have been going on for an eternity."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said the highways project had been funded by money from the Government.

She said: "Traders are not entitled to compensation for highways work because local authorities have a mandate to carry it out.

"We would be forever paying out compensation otherwise.

"There are special cases where compensation can be paid if traders can prove that takings have gone down as a result of roadworks.

"Each would have to be considered on its merits."

Friday, May 5, 2006