Work on Ellesmere gas mains is drag for traders

Shopkeepers in Ellesmere say the town centre has become a quieter place since Wales & West Utilities (WWU) started upgrading the gas network as part of a £100,000 project.

But they have acknowledged the importance of the work and appreciate it has been done in January, which they regard as one of the quietest times of the year.

The work, which has been carried out over the past three weeks in Cross Street, Market Street and Scotland Street, is expected to be finished in the next few days.

Joyce Shaw, of Shropshire Cat Rescue in Scotland Street, said: "I think it has been disgusting really, it has affected us a lot and takings are down.

"We used to have a lot of donations but now we have nothing."

Irfan Mukadam, of Ellesmere Newsagents in High Street, said:

"We have lost some of the people who drive into Ellesmere, park up and pop between shops. But we have still had the people who walk into town.

"But the work has to be done and it is better they do it than there be a gas explosion."

Angela Roberts, of Jelly Bean in Cross Street, said: "Trade has been different and it has certainly affected footfall.

"The beginning of January is usually quiet anyway, but it has usually picked up by now.

"The car parks seem quite full but there seems to be fewer people around."

She added that in some places workers were not leaving enough room on the pavement for shoppers with pushchairs.

Sydney Hodgkins, of SJ Hodgkins Butchers in Scotland Street, said: "January is already a quiet month but things seem quieter than normal."

But Andy Edge, of Barlows Electrical in Cross Street, said the work hasn't affected his business.

"We haven't really been affected," he said. "If people want something electrical from us they will come and get it.It will be other shops in the town that will have been affected."

Lincoln McMullan, chairman of Ellesmere Chamber of Commerce and owner of The Signtists, praised the company for keeping disruption to a minimum.

"They have done a good job and at least they have done the work in January, in the quietest part of the year."

The utility firm said the multi-million pound project has involved installing 200 metres of new plastic gas pipe with a lifespan of more than 80 years.

Peter Hughes, WWU project manager, said: "We know that working in busy towns is disruptive for local people and visitors, and we have done our best to plan a gas mains replacement scheme for Ellesmere which has limited this inconvenience as much as possible."

A similar gas pipe replacement scheme will be carried out by WWU in Wem this month and is expected to take about eight weeks to complete.