Relief for businesses as Snitterfield roads re-open

Two roads in Snitterfield have finally re-opened following essential flooding works, though businesses claim the closures have cost them thousands.

The works, which triggered the closure of Smiths Lane and Bell Lane, had been ongoing since late September but both routes were re-opened on Saturday.

It has been a stressful time for some businesses who say the works led to a dramatic decline in trade, with motorists forced to take a long detour to reach the other side of the village.

Baljit Singh, who runs the Snitterfield Village Store, said: “It’s a huge relief that the roads are back open, Christmas is a very busy time for businesses and although we’ve missed some of that time, we’re glad to be getting those customers now.

“I would like to thank the parish council for being so supportive and encouraging local people to shop here, it’s made a big difference. It’s been almost three months that the roads have been closed but I must say the workers put so much effort into getting the job finished towards the end, they were working all night. I just don’t know why they didn’t start off working like that because the roads could have been opened much sooner.

“These closures have cost us thousands of pounds, we’ve been down 40 percent. We’ve sent off the paperwork to hopefully get some compensation, but we’ve not heard anything back yet.”