Menai Bridge closure worse than Covid for trade, says business owner

The closure of the Menai Bridge is a "disaster" and has been worse than Covid for local businesses, a gallery owner has said.

It's been two weeks since the bridge, one of only two into Anglesey, closed to all traffic.

Glyn Davies, a gallery owner from the town of Menai Bridge, said it had been the worst fortnight in decades.

The Welsh government said it is doing "everything within its power" to reopen the bridge as soon as it is safe.

"I have been in business for 40 years, this has been the worst I have seen, it is so quiet," said Mr Davies.

"I have been in this shop for 20 years, and for me this is a disaster worse than any major recession, worse than the pandemic, at least then we had help and support.

"I can't go on like this for months on end, we need help, practical support and information, not rumours."

Mr Davies said around three quarters of his customers come from over the bridge, often as far as Manchester and Liverpool.

He believes people are now avoiding the area.

"Looking down the street there is no one walking around. I'm sitting here with an empty gallery."

He said business will need support to survive, such as grants or a temporary respite from business rates tax.

"People are posting horror stories, some are exaggerating saying takes hours to get across the bridge, they are putting the nail in the coffin for Menai Bridge," he added.

Sarah Morgan, who runs clothes shop Butterfly Boutique in Menai Bridge, said one day last week she sold nothing for the first time since opening in 2014.

"The impact this is having on some traders is devastating," said Ms Morgan, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"No one knows how long this is going on for, we desperately need information from the powers that be.

"We lost so much during Covid... and now this.

"We couldn't plan for this. It is extremely worrying as a business to not know what is happening."

Lesley Jones, who runs Pips Pet Supplies, said the impact the closure has had on the town has been "horrendous".

"It's been like the unperfect storm, the weather has been atrocious, its just been one thing after the other, when it's half term the high street should be thriving.

"Shops should be having their tills ringing, and it's literally dead.

"I've been talking to other shop owners who have gone the whole day without seeing another person."

Ms Jones said road signs reading "Menai Bridge closed" have led people to believe to town is closed, or inaccessible.

"That couldn't be further from the truth.

"All the businesses are open, we have four great car parks, we just need people to come and support."

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We are conscious of the disruption to people's lives caused by the closure and we are doing everything within our power to reopen the bridge as soon as it safe to do so."