Sinkhole leaves Brownhills firms struggling for trade

Businesses say a road closure caused by a sinkhole has led to a big drop in customers for them, with some traders estimating footfall has fallen by about a third.

The road between Miner Island and Ogley Road in Brownhills, in the West Midlands, has been closed since Thursday, after the hole appeared opposite Kwik Fit. Repairs are expected to continue into next week, Severn Trent said.

"It's impacted the whole high street, and obviously all we can hope for now is to get the repair done sooner rather than later," one business owner, Nick Moyle, said.

A spokesperson for the water firm said the repair was complex and thanked residents and businesses for their patience.

Several traders told BBC Radio WM they have received little information about how long the disruption would last, leaving them uncertain about the effect on their businesses.

"Footfall has reduced by about 30%," Moyle, a butcher, said.

"Now we're sort of being informed if it's a minor repair, eight to 10 days; if it's a major repair, it could be up to a couple of months...we're always the last to know and kept in the dark."

Rob Downes owns a newsagent and said the ongoing closure had reduced passing trade at what would normally be a busy time for the town centre.

"They've got a job and a half on, because they've got to fit a new pipe in the middle of the old one," he said.

"We've had no communication nothing at all and it's not good especially because of the lack of trade."

The closure had affected traffic travelling through Brownhills, with motorists being diverted while engineers carry out repairs, the traders said.

The spokesperson for Severn Trent said they would continue to update people as work progresses.

"[I'm worried]? Because you can't keep going on like this, week in and week out, something has got to give," Downes added.

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