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Diner claims road expansion badly damaged business

BBC On the left is the outside facade of the diner, with a life-size Elvis Presley statue, and a stack of overly large burgers. A fence runs between the building on the road on the right. On the road in the background a car is driving past.BBC
The Mattia Diner has been set back from the main A303 road

A business which once had direct access from the A303 in Somerset has claimed three quarters of its income has been lost since the road was expanded.

The Mattia Diner near Sparkford used to have a direct slip-road from the A303, which runs through the south of Somerset between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon.

However, the Somerset section of the road has seen a major expansion over the last few years, with the diner now set back from the main road and only accessible from a nearby roundabout.

National Highways said there will soon be brown signs directing people to the site, at no cost to the restaurant.

Andrea is in the centre of the frame. She has blonde shoulder-length hair, with streaks of red in it. Her glasses are on her head. She is wearing a blue coat with gold buttons. Behind her is a white wall, save for a painting of the USA flag and a classic American car embedded in the wall.
Andrea Mattia says she lost three quarters of her income

The section of the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester has been dualled as part of a major upgrading of the road.

In February last year, a bakery in a similar situation, just a few hundred metres down the road, had a similar experience, after the main road was moved.

Andrea Mattia, who owns the diner, said she had seen "three quarters of lost trade" since the A303 was moved.

"I've lost the passing trade unless anybody is determined," she added.

But she remains optimistic that business may improve.

"Once the signs are up and this mess is cleared, it'll probably be better to get into the diner than it was previously."

National Highways said: "We appreciate that any works, particularly on such a major project, can cause disruption for nearby businesses and we do all we can to minimise that disturbance as much as possible.

"We worked closely with Mattia Diner on our final signage plans, and once all works are complete on the scheme, there will be signage in place directing road users to the diner, and we remain committed to working with all our stakeholders and neighbours.

"National Highways has agreed to produce and install brown signs at no cost to the diner, which will be finalised in the new year."

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