Traders' plea to shoppers as work hits businesses

A group of traders has issued an appeal for people to keep shopping in a town centre, as they say a major redevelopment project is causing disruption.

Some shop owners in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, have reported a drop in footfall since the Ashbourne Reborn project launched earlier this year.

Money for the £15.2m project, designed to make the town more attractive to shoppers, has come from the government's Levelling Up Fund and local fundraising.

However, Su Woodcock, who runs Beaumont's cafe in St John Street, told BBC Radio Derby that since the work started, her takings had dropped by 50%.

She added: "It is really soul-destroying, especially after a hard winter. This is the time for us to make our money.

"It is sad because all of our employees are local people.

"It is a shame because you feel like at some point somebody somewhere is going to have to reduce hours or something is going to have to happen for us to stay in business."

Derbyshire Dales District Council is leading the project and is working with the county council and Ashbourne Town Council.

It involves widening pavements and improving public spaces like the Market Place, which will become a pedestrian area.

Major roads through the centre of the town including St John Street, Buxton Road and Dig Street have been closed for stints to allow the work, which is due to end in the autumn, to take place.

This has led to traffic disruption and fewer people coming into the town centre, traders say.

Jo Hall, who owns the Olde Sweet Shoppe in Dig Street, said the work has had a significant impact on her trade.

She added: "As a sweet shop we rely on the number of people coming into the shop rather than big sales.

"We definitely started to notice very early on when there aren't people coming through the door."

Anne Wright has two clothes shops in Ashbourne - Henmores and Young Ideas - and is also chairman of the Ashbourne Town Team.

She said the work was needed because pavements in the town were narrow and uneven.

She added: "What can be wrong about over £15m being invested in our local community?

"I just accept that yes, unfortunately, we've got some short-term pain to go through while the works are being done, but if people support us during this period we [will] be OK - but we need that support."

A Derbyshire Dales District Council spokesperson said: "We are aware that whilst the physical changes funded by UK government will make a big difference to the town's environment, the vibrancy the town needs will also depend on how those spaces are used in the future.

"We are working with local partners to develop options for a programme of activities, events and uses for these spaces once the work is complete."

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