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Frustration grows as town's sewer works continue

Duncan Cook
BBC News, Gloucestershire
BBC A photo showing a road with a red road closed sign, two red and white comes and a red barrier. In the background is a fenced off area containing a diggerBBC
Acre Street is the latest road to close in Stroud

Businesses and residents in a Cotswold town are getting 'frustrated' with the time it is taking to complete a major project to upgrade sewers.

Severn Trent began the £25m scheme in 2022 to improve the aging network of pipes around Stroud.

Road closures have been ongoing for three years, with the latest closure affecting Acre Street.

Severn Trent said it understood how disruptive roadworks can be for residents, but the measures are essential to ensure the safety of both workers and the public.

A photo showing a white man with grey hair and wearing a green hat and a green and grey jumper. He is stood on a street in front of a shop widnow
Paul-Adam Eagles said the work "seems to be going on and on"

Stroud resident, Paul-Adam Eagles, said there needs to be more coordination: "The emergency road closures, the planned road closures, there doesn't seem to be a linking up of planning and strategy, if this road is closed we better not close this one, because it will have an impact", he said.

"The residents of Stroud are always the last people to know and they're always the ones that have the impact. It seems to be going on and on".

A phot showing a woman sat down in front of a bookcase. She has grey hair and is wearing glasses and a a grey hooded jumper
Ruth Pyecroft is concerned shoppers "wont bother going up there"

Businesses on Nelson Street are concerned the latest closure will impact trade, having already been through a lengthy closure as part of the project.

Ruth Pyecroft, who runs R & R books, said it was frustrating: "The road was closed for nearly two years and the dates kept expanding".

"This time the closure in Acre Street is supposed to be for a couple of weeks, but is it going to be on the dates they say, or will it take longer than it should do", she said.

"People are going to say that road's closed again, I wont bother going up there."

A photo showing a white woman stood in front of a shop window. She has brown hair and is wearing glasses and a blue and grey striped jumper
Josefina Fernandes said "We're not happy, the customers are not happy"

Josefina Fernandes has run The Big Fish chip shop on Nelson Street for 17 years and is also concerned by the ongoing road closures: "The works, they have been going for three years, on and on. They stop and then come back. I thought they had finished the job. It's too long to wait, they should just start and finish, complete the job, it's not fair", she said.

"We're not happy, the customers are not happy."

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We want to thank Stroud residents for their understanding as our teams continue to work on a £25m sewer upgrade scheme to provide more capacity in the town, helping protect homes and businesses from blockages and flooding. 

"We've installed over two miles of new pipes, including upgrading many of the old Victorian sewers, during the three-year scheme and do understand how disruptive roadworks can be for residents.

"But these measures are essential to ensure the safety of both our workers and the public, so we are truly grateful for the continued local support."

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