Elmsett store owner on The Street Aldham roadworks nightmare

Sasha Lawrence and her partner Julian Edwards own the Elmsett village stores, which is just along from The Street in Aldham, which collapsed in November. 

After creating a business plan to revive the shop, having taken it on in April 2021, Mrs Lawrence believes their work has been undone by the road closure. 

Mrs Lawrence says they have witnessed a decline in revenue (Image: Charlotte Bond)

They have witnessed a 37pc decline in revenue, are now in debt and have been forced to put their shop - and house - on the market.

"They've literally killed our business," said Ms Lawrence. "It has totally destroyed us. 

"We needed to build a business plan that attracted people from outside the village. We built a really successful business."

The pair have now put the shop, and their home, on the market (Image: Charlotte Bond)

On the day the road closure was put in place, the businesses revenue dropped instantly by 21pc.

Two months on, it has plunged even further due to a continual loss of customers. 

Mrs Lawrence continued: "We have lost all our Hadleigh customers. All our top end of Aldham customers and all the delivery drivers who used to re-route to get our home-filled baguettes.

"We are now down by 37pc. We are now £10,000 in debt because our cash flow is gone. 

Road closure signs remain in place after the collapse (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"We have to put our shop and house on the market because we can't survive. It's horrendous.

"From a business aspect they have killed us. I can't even see how we will survive."

Residents in the village say work is still yet to start on repairing, despite it being shut since the middle of November. 

The road has been closed since November (Image: Suffolk Highways)

"We have got no indication of when the work will be done," said Jenni Green, who has lived in the village for 47 years.

"All we have heard is they have commissioned somebody. I do not really know what they have done.

"We have not seen any activity on the road.

"We just do not know; it is over two months. We would like to see some work starting."

A spokesman for Suffolk Highways said: "Due to the extensive work needed to repair the road, it is not possible for the road to reopen yet. A full investigation is required along with design, before construction can begin.

 "Our teams are working to repair and reopen the road as a priority as we appreciate the inconvenience this is causing."