Businesses 'unprepared' for bridge works schedule

Business owners near Cross Gates railway station in Leeds said they had not been kept updated on road closures and work to upgrade a bridge at the site.

The work to reconstruct Station Road bridge is part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) programme but shops, cafes and salons nearby said they have lost customers as a result of the disruption.

Katie Ramsden, who runs HIT Coffee, said: "We have not had good communication, that has been the biggest struggle."

Adam Sellers, senior sponsor at TRU, said the firm had met with local businesses and had "introduced a number of measures to ensure they have the latest information".

Ms Ramsden said the works had deterred so many customers that she had taken to social media to "beg" people to visit her cafe.

Signs advising people that the business remained open had been frequently removed, she said.

The 31-year-old had also turned up to find access was blocked by vehicles and machinery on occasion.

"I came to work one day and there was an engineer checking the electricity, he said there were no trains for the next five Saturdays - nobody had told me," she said.

"We cannot prepare."

She said she had been left to find out about the latest works on social media, rather than through direct communication with the company.

"I put a post out on social media just begging people to come to the coffee shop - there was not a soul in sight, actually begging is just so disheartening," she said.

Since the drop in customers, Ms Ramsden has reduced the business' opening hours.

While she has received a rent reduction, she said she was not making money, but still had a mortgage and staff to pay.

"You do not want to be constantly begging people to come in every week."

Carl Thompson has run The Opposition Hairdressing, on Station Road just before the bridge, for nearly 40 years.

The 67-year-old said he was feeling "particularly aggrieved," following months of work.

"From the beginning, the support has been non-existent," Mr Thompson said.

"Running a business these days is hard enough without the additional pressures."

He said access had been periodically cut off, with staff and customers facing delays or get to the salon.

He added that bookings were down.

"That is a worry," he said.

"I have no problem with progress, I fully understand the reasoning behind this, it is just a lack of consideration, not just for my business but the whole parade of shops, as well as the other side of the road."

The project is part of plans to electrify the railway lines, with work taking place until 25 November.

The bridge, which crosses over the line at Cross Gates Station, is currently too low to accommodate overhead wires.

As a result, it will be removed and rebuilt at a higher level.

In August, new bridge approaches will be installed and the new bridge deck will be waterproofed ahead of completion of the scheme at the end of the year, according to TRU.

Diversions are in place.

Mr Sellers, from the firm, said: "We understand that major engineering work can be disruptive."

He said TRU were "really grateful for the continued patience of the local community while these upgrades take place".

"Following concerns raised, we met with the constituency MP on site, as well as local businesses, and have introduced a number of measures to ensure they have the latest information," he said.

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