Businesses in Stowmarket are voicing their anger as two months of road works get underway in the town centre.

East Anglian Daily Times: The owner of Charringtons Furniture Warehouse in Stowmarket is claiming that local road closures due to roadworks has impacted on his sales. Pictured is Warehouse owner Cameron Kerr. Picture: GREGG BROWNThe owner of Charringtons Furniture Warehouse in Stowmarket is claiming that local road closures due to roadworks has impacted on his sales. Pictured is Warehouse owner Cameron Kerr. Picture: GREGG BROWN

Work to improve Stowmarket town centre are expected to bring eight weeks of disruption to the Suffolk town.

Road repairs began on January 7 and will be carried out along Ipswich Street, between Tavern Street and Milton Road South, for five weeks before gas works start on Station Road West to complete unfinished work from before Christmas.

Cameron Kerr, who owns Charringtons Furnishings on Stowupland Street, said: “The roadworks have been going on for two years. I think I have lost £140,000 because people aren’t coming to my business.

“I want to know who is deciding to allow the road works to be here. It feels like anyone can come along and do whatever they want whenever they want to do it.”

Ipswich Street will be closed overnight for the first two weeks from January 7, between 7.30pm and 5am.

Work will continue during daytime hours for the remaining three weeks. Suffolk Highways chiefs say access to properties and businesses will be available at all times.

Roads chiefs are also warning that the time and date of the works may change. Signs at the site will be used to inform the public if changes do happen and a diversion will be in place.

Jana Tarling, who own Petite Pancakes, said: “The road works have affected business. We haven’t been here for very long but we have had road works outside the shop for weeks.

“It’s not very nice for customers to be here eating and to see that view outside the window. We have lost a lot of business because there are no cars coming past.”

Before Christmas, work on the B1115, known as Station Road West, next to St Peter and St Mary’s Church, caused traffic chaos in the town, with journey times trebling in some cases.

The works, which involved repairs to gas pipes dating back to the 1950s, overran because the pipes were much deeper than expected. This means that the road will again need to be closed in 2019.

A spokesperson for Cadent, who are carrying out the work, said: “We plan our work carefully in close discussion with local authorities so it can be scheduled and designed to fit in with other local work where possible.”