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‘Nightmare’ roadworks in Kinross are costing thousands of pounds in lost business

Roadworks on High Street, Kinross, with the town hall encased in scaffolding in the background.
Roadworks on High Street, Kinross, with the town hall encased in scaffolding in the background.

Roadworks are blighting the heart of Kinross and costing thousands of pounds in lost business, according to traders in the town.

Retailers say their takings have been slashed as they are missing out on crucial passing trade on the High Street due to construction work at the town hall.

Now, to add to their misery, a temporary traffic light system has been put in place while engineers work on a network of underground gas pipes.

Local business owners say that the town hall work, which is expected to continue for several months, has robbed the street of essential parking.

Believed to be the worst affected is award-winning butcher Hunters of Kinross, home to famous singing butcher Iain Hunter.

His wife, Pamela, said that takings have been down by nearly £2,000 a week since the traffic lights appeared earlier this summer and she fears that, by the time the work is completed, the total losses could exceed £50,000.

“We lost about £600 in a single day,” she said.

“We’ve just taken on three new staff members for Christmas but they’re not getting the work.

“The real problem is that we are getting no passing trade. A lot of our older customers drive into the town centre, where they can park right outside our shop, but now there is nowhere for them to stop.”

Catherine Marshall, who runs beauty salon Complete Look, added: “It has been a complete nightmare.

“The lack of parking means that our customers are often running late for their appointments, which can cause us a lot of problems.

“Our staff are also having trouble getting in on time.”

She said: “Hunters next door has always brought people into the town centre so when they are losing customers there’s a knock on effect for everyone else.

“We are all suffering,” she added.

A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said “A temporary traffic regulation order has been in place since July 23. It is due to last a total of 32 weeks and, during this time, parking and loading are not permitted between 104 and 118 High Street. Pedestrians are still able to access the area.”

The gas pipeline replacement has added to the woes of traders, removing even more parking spaces, but is not due to last long.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Gas Network explained: “This is essential work to ensure a continued safe and reliable gas supply to the local area.

“We put out signs to advise that the project would be starting.

“The work was agreed with Perth and Kinross Council, with the majority of it scheduled to take place during the school holiday to minimise the impact on the local community.

“Four-way traffic lights are in place. We didn’t think temporary lights would be required but, now that we’re actually working here, they are necessary to ensure the safety of the public and our engineers.

“We’re aiming to complete the work by the early part of next week. We very sorry for any disruption our work is causing.

“We’d also like to thank locals for their patience. We do have a compensation scheme in place for any traders who suffer a genuine loss of business.”

Developer Wilson Homes stressed that the gas pipeline work is nothing to do with its renovation of the nearby town hall.

The company maintained that the ambitious regeneration project to convert the building into shops, offices and flats, has been ongoing for several weeks without any problems.