Business blames 60% profit drop on A449 closure

A Worcestershire business owner says trade is 60% down due to a road closure, which has forced him to cut staff and reduce the hours of remaining workers.

Matthew Cooke, Malvern Hills Hotel owner, said: "We've had to let staff go. We've cut back on four members of staff and everybody is on short hours."

The A449 has been closed near the venue since September and now another nearby route, the A4103, is also set to partially close.

Worcestershire County Council said the closure relates to "housing developer-led works which require access to the highway and now need to proceed".

The council spokesperson said the latest works had been delayed for over 12 months, adding: "We recognise the diversion is lengthy and disruption unavoidable.

"A signed A-road diversion will be in place, with clear signage and 'unsuitable for HGVs' warnings where needed."

But Cooke said he had been informed the disruption on the A449 could continue until October next year.

"[Business] is about 60% down year-on-year. It's a large issue for people going from Malvern to Ledbury, and back again," he said.

"It's an issue for people looking to go to the hotel because they have to pass about four or five hotels or pubs before they get to me.

"So they're being rerouted to other venues. At the moment, I've been told the road may not open until October next year.

"That means I've got more than 12 months with the A449 being closed. It's impacted our trade from September and we are currently 60% down."

He added that he had "sent several letters" to Malvern Hills District Council to request business rates relief but had been unsuccessful.

"They're not willing to give me business rates relief because until the road closure hits 22 months, it's classed as a temporary closure," he explained.

Sarah Nicholls, owner of Sally's Place, a cafe in Upper Colwall, said the disruption had "dramatically affected" her business.

"A lot of our customers can't get to us or can't afford to get here with the way they have to get round, the diversions," she said.

"Obviously, Jubilee Drive is a bit higgledy-piggledy and loads of potholes so our regular bikers can't get up here either.

"We're going to lose regular customers, lose passing trade, our sales are going to go down, which they have already.

"There's no compensation for businesses but we're the ones losing out."

Dame Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, has called for urgent action to improve performance at the county council highways department as a number of major road projects see further delays.

She also questioned how the work had been communicated: "One of the things that is most upsetting about the situation is the lack of communication that we've had from the county council, which runs our local roads.

"One of the things that surprised me - with this massive new road closure for a month in Leigh Sinton - was that I only heard about it from the parish council getting in touch.

"I hadn't been told directly, anything, by Worcestershire County Council."

She added she had written to independent councillor Tom Wells, who is now in charge of Worcestershire County Council's highways and transport portfolio, and urged him to get a "swift grip" on vital delayed projects.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.