A taxi boss says “nightmare” gas works are costing him £1,000 a week.
The owner of iCars, Neil McLennan, says he’s losing trade due to the disruption caused by SGN’s project in Minster – which is set to continue for another two months.
Work started on replacing 2,000 metres of gas main along Minster Road, and around 680 individual supply pipes to nearby properties, on July 23.
SGN, which has contracted WCB Utilities to carry out the scheme, says it has taken steps to ensure “as little disruption as possible” and that the new lines have a life span of 80 years. Minster Road will be shut for the duration, with other side roads to be closed for shorter periods during three phases.
The upgrades are expected to finish on Friday, October 31.
But less than a month after work started, businesses are feeling the squeeze.
Mr McLennan, who has run his firm for a decade, told KentOnline the closed road means his drivers are having to make detours with what used to be a “one-minute journey turning into 15 to 20 minutes”.
While the 54-year-old said: “If the works were going on 12 hours a day, I would go up to the workers and shake them by the hand and say ‘good job’.
“But they are not, and it’s costing me £1,000 a week.
“That’s because we are having to turn down jobs because the jobs we are doing are taking us more time to get to and get back from.
“It’s a nightmare, and I am not aware of any compensation that we can claim back on.”
Mr McLennan added that the disruption comes after Halfway Road shut during the Christmas period, which again cost him financially.
Fred Ford, who owns the Klondyke Cafe in Halfway Road, was also affected by those works and says things are quieter than usual.
The 65-year-old, who opened the eatery more than six years ago, said: “It’s not as busy as it is normally this time in the summer with all the holidaymakers. I think that’s because of the road works as people don’t want to face the traffic.
“At the moment, we are just about breaking even.”
Estate agent Lauren McAleer says her firm, House Estate and Letting Agents based in Minster Road, is also being affected by the gas works.
The 39-year-old mum of two, who lives on the Island, said: “It’s a problem as we are able to do fewer viewings as we are adding on an extra 15 minutes for our journeys. I have been dropping my kids at my mother-in-law’s, which is just the other side of the works, so I have to drive around the Island to get to her house.
“Hopefully, it will all be worth it when the works are over, but it is an inconvenience.”
Meanwhile, former Sheerness Steel general manager, John Twiselton, complained he has been waiting in traffic at Cowstead Corner for half an hour at times.
The 76-year-old, who lives in Minster, said: “The first thing is the businesses and how they are being affected.
“And then you have all the traffic. The Lower Road and Cowstead Corner are like a car park at times.
“Sometimes the traffic backs all the way to Brambledown Farm Shop [almost two and a half miles].
“It is very frustrating, and the project should be rethought with workers on site 24/7 rather than just 9 to 5.”
Cllr Elliott Jayes (Swale Ind), who is chairman of Minster Parish Council, says when a road closes on the Island, it causes “mayhem” as it lacks road infrastructure.
The Swale council representative for Sheppey Central said: “It just shows we don’t have the roads to cope with the amount of traffic on Sheppey.
“This road closure has caused mayhem for people, especially on Saturdays, which are the busiest days because of the bootfairs.
“I’ve even seen people say they aren’t going to go out on those days because of the traffic. The works are necessary, of course, but it is still an inconvenience.”
SGN spokesman, Dan Brown, said: “We understand roadworks can be disruptive for road users and people who live and work in the area.
“However, the gas network upgrades we’re carrying out in Minster Road are essential to ensuring nearby homes and businesses stay safe and warm.
“We’re doing everything we can to ensure our work along Minster Road is being completed as quickly as possible. Our first phase, between its junctions with Pleasant Place and Scrapsgate, is running to schedule.
“This project involves upgrading individual service pipes to properties, which must be arranged with affected homeowners and provide seven days advance notice.
We try to accurately assess the amount of service pipes we can replace each day based on property inspections, customer bookings, and to avoid leaving anyone without gas overnight.
“But replacing these service pipes can often be complex and it’s difficult to estimate exactly how long each one might take. This means our engineers may be visible on site for different lengths of time throughout the week.
“We’d like to reiterate that access is maintained to all businesses around our closure area. Eligible businesses can make a compensation claim via our website if they feel our work has impacted them.”
