A BUSINESS owner has said his health, as well as his shop, have both been affected by the long-running works at Bruce Street Bridges.

Steve Law, of Steve’s Mobility, says trade is down by more than 50 per cent since April as people avoid the area.

Work is being done to convert Bruce Street Bridges into a single roundabout but a number of delays have meant the project will drag on into next year.

As a result drivers have found themselves in long queues and yesterday these continued as the latest stage of the work commenced.

The final resurfacing of the roads meant some lanes were closed and although the end is now in sight, Steve believes it may already be too late.

He said: “I don’t know how long I can go on. I’ve been trading for 22 years but things are very bad now.

“Because of the work people are just avoiding the area and I don’t blame them.

“Things haven’t improved at all over the last few months and there is still work to do but since April I have lost around up to £40,000.

“It’s had such an impact not just on me but on my life. There is the loss of trade, the dust, the noise – it has been endless.

“There are shops here which have all been hit but nothing has been done to help us.”

Steve says that despite appeals for financial support from the council, his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

He says he does not want a full refund but enough to pay some of the bills.

“I’m not talking about life-changing sums of money,” said Steve.

“This is a multi-million pound project but a few thousand pounds would make such a difference in helping me cover my losses.

“It is not my fault the work has been delayed but while everyone else involved is being paid, I have lost out.

“They tell me the regulations mean they can’t give me taxpayer’s money.”

However, the council has stuck to this line and says it is unable to help the business man.

Cllr Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Transport, said: “The Great Western Way improvements, which are paid for by housing developers and the Government, are being made to ensure our roads can cope with the increasing number of vehicles on our roads.

“I have a lot of sympathy for the businesses affected by the improvements, but Council officers have regularly met with them over the last 12 months to help wherever possible.

“The businesses will also benefit in the long run from the improved junction with the new loading and parking bays which have been created.

“Unfortunately, successive governments have taken the view that businesses should not have the right to compensation because this kind of temporary disruption caused by roadworks is one of the many risks associated with running a business.

“It also leads onto where do you draw the line for compensation, because many businesses and residents like myself have also been affected by the queuing traffic.”