Disruption from a major upgrade of Auchterarder’s electricity network could push some traders out of business, it has been claimed.
The £375,000 project will stretch for most of the length of the retail section of the High Street and take six months to complete.
Gary Melnitschuk of Giftbox described the plan as “ill thought out” and was particularly critical that parking spaces would be lost during the run up to Christmas.
“Many small businesses need the Christmas trade to remain viable for the rest of the year,” he said, claiming he knew of half a dozen businesses who would “struggle” to make it to April as a result.
“The consensus in the town is that this will have a big impact – if there is not enough parking people will go elsewhere, to Perth or Stirling.”
The work by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to replace 1km of low voltage underground cable in Auchterarder High Street starts on Monday October 9 and should be completed by March next year.
Temporary traffic lights and on-street parking restrictions will be used during the work.
The company say the work is “vital to improving the reliability of the service it provides to residents and businesses”.
SSEN will suspend work to minimise disruption during the Remembrance weekend of November 11 and 12, for the Christmas lights switch on event and between December 20 and January 10.
Pat Renson of Pat Renson Interiors was critical of the late suspension of work just before Christmas.
“We will have done our business for Christmas by then,” she said.
“This is going to cause major disruption. People will not want to come to Auchterarder.”
Other businesses were more relaxed about the work and Marjorie MacDonald of Grace and Favour gift shop said she hoped disruption could be minimised if the contractors “work with the businesses” while Allan Devlin of the Supar and Spice bakery said: ”We all use electricity, it needs to be done”.
Graeme Stewart, Head of Region at SSEN, said: “We want to take every practical step to minimise disruption and discuss any specific requirements residential customers and businesses may have.”
SSEN will be holding a drop-in public consultation event on Thursday October 12 between 10am and 8pm at The Aytoun Hall.
