Traders furious over plans to close the street for anti-flooding works
Traders in Devonshire Road are furious over a plan to close the road for a twelve week period for works to be carried out by Thames Water. The water company says the works are needed to protect the street from sewer flooding and are due to start on January 18 2016.
But traders say the lengthy period of closure will put shops and businesses in a very difficult position after Christmas and may even cause some to close down. A road closure will be in place from numbers 1 -11 for the duration of the works.
Thames Water say they need to install anti-flooding devices known as FLIPS. These will be housed in manhole like chambers on Devonshire Road.
Devonshire Road was closed last January for Thames Water works
Mike Moran of Top Hat Cleaners, who has written to Hounslow Council lead member Steve Curran, said only some of the shops had been informed of the plans by letter. He had not received any letter and it was "wrong" for all the shops not to be be given advance warning.
"I do understand that Thames Water need to carry out works but they seem to think they can do what ever they like, surely not?
"We on Devonshire Road have been working hard to raise our profile and this will set us right back if not managed correctly, 3 months is long enough for our customers to get used to new patterns so we can not expect them just to return so they could be lost for ever."
It is understood that Thames Water has agreed, following intervention by Cllr John Todd, to send a representative to the area as soon as possible, to see if there can be any resolution found. The traders would like to see the closure limited as much as possible. It is believed that a meeting with Thames Water will take place on 5 January.
According to Mike Thames Water have applied for and got permission to make the section of Devonshire Road from Glebe Street to Prnice of Wales Terrace two way in order to help with deliveries but it also means all the parking bays are suspended.
January 3, 2016
