Sizewell roadworks cost us thousands, say pubs

Hospitality businesses have said the construction of a nuclear power plant and associated roadworks have cost them tens of thousands of pounds in lost trade.

Sizewell C is being built on the east Suffolk coastline and is predicted to be able to generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity once complete in the mid to late 2030s.

For the past nine months, work on new roundabouts on the A12 at the Friday Street junction and further north in Yoxford has taken place.

A Sizewell C spokesperson said the company was "sincerely grateful for everyone's patience" and that the project was delivering "significant economic benefits".

But Tom Lagden, who runs the Theberton Lion on the B1122, said he believed the works had contributed to losses of about £35,000 since the start of the year.

"For a pub in an industry already beleaguered and hit with multiple cost increases over the last 12 to 18 months, that is a huge amount of money for us," he said.

"It's not that people don't want to get here, but they think they can't get here because of the uncertainty of where roads are closed, as the signage is misleading.

"Locals can find their way here, but anybody else who's just a visitor to the area is not going to know those cut-throughs and so just don't bother coming."

Lagden explained that he was not against the building of Sizewell C, just against the way the project was being managed.

"Everybody's welcome here and we have no problem with nuclear power; it's more to do with the lack of respect towards local people and local businesses," he said.

"It's just making things very, very difficult to try to run the business."

Richard Andrews, landlord of The Crown in Great Glemham, said the roadworks had cost his pub £20,000 in recent weeks.

"We worked out it was approximately £3,000 to £4,000 each weekend they closed the road," he said.

"There needed to be signs saying that businesses were not affected, and a more sensible diversion, as it created a 40-minute detour.

"I'm not steadfast against Sizewell, I'm just annoyed at unnecessary disruption, and it would be nice if someone admitted accountability and organised themselves better."

Jacqueline Day had served hungry motorists from the Tate and Jack's Snack Bar in a layby on the A12 near Friday Street.

But, last July, the 57-year-old said she was told that she would have to shut up shop until this June "for safety reasons".

"I was told there was nothing they could do to help me and so I had to get a temporary job and I've lost between £35,000 and £40,000," she said.

"It makes me feel sad and upset because I built it all up and now I've lost all of my customers as everyone's gone elsewhere.

"I've lost the will to carry it on to be honest with you."

Others, however, said they had benefited from the construction of the two roundabouts - not least those employed to build them.

Suffolk-based Breheny Civil Engineering secured the contract to build the roundabouts last year.

Mark Burrows, regional commercial director, said: "The opening of these roundabouts to traffic marks a major milestone.

"They'll deliver much-improved traffic flow to the A12 and vastly improved access for road users from the A12 on to the A1094.

"We'll continue to work on the roundabouts until the works are fully completed in the next few months."

Bill Pryor, managing director of surfacing company Toppesfield, also based in Suffolk, said working on infrastructure developments for Sizewell C had been "transformative".

"This has not only strengthened our operational capability but has enabled us to invest in people in a way that will shape our organisation for years to come," he added.

"We've recruited new apprentices, offered structured career development pathways, and provided extensive training and upskilling opportunities for our workforce."

A Sizewell C spokesperson said the company had been in "regular contact" with the Theberton Lion and "as agreed with the landlord" had since installed additional signs to let people know the pub was still open.

"We're keen to continue supporting the pub where we can," they said.

The statement added: "We know our works have been challenging at times, and we're sincerely grateful for everyone's patience.

"Although the disruption is temporary, the improvements we're making now will deliver significant long-term benefits, including safer journeys and better access for those who live, work, and visit the area."

East Suffolk Council said it recognised the "the significant pressure" road closures and diversions put on businesses and said it understood the concerns.

"We are deeply sympathetic to the pressure this is causing," a spokesperson said.

"While the council manages a number of Sizewell C-funded programmes, these are strategic schemes designed to mitigate impacts and support the local economy, not to provide compensation to individual businesses.

"We remain committed to supporting businesses through our Sizewell C-funded business support programme, upcoming grant opportunities, free Suffolk Coast DMO (Destination Management Organisation) membership and one-to-one peer support."

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