An anxious landlord says he may keep his pub closed during six months of “nightmare” roadworks amid fears people will avoid the area.
Howard Lapish, who runs The Hooden Bar and Grill in Ashford, has branded a 27-week programme of works on Kennington Road and Willesborough Road (A2070) an “absolute joke”.
It comes as utility companies SGN and UK Power Networks prepare to start work on a 1.7-mile stretch from the Julie Rose Stadium to near the William Harvey Hospital.
Beginning on Monday, March 3, the “essential upgrades” will continue in Willesborough Lees until mid-September.
But Mr Lapish, who started running The Hooden Bar and Grill in October 1999, says he can’t envisage his Silver Hill Road site will still be trading at the end of it.
“I think it’s an absolute joke and it’s going to be a nightmare,” said the 56-year-old, who has up to 20 staff on his books during the summer.
“When SGN closed our road for a month in October it hit our trade quite hard and they were only working there for about 10 days in total.
“We’re on an independent leasehold so whatever trade we lose, we actually lose – that would be thousands if it’s like last time.
“As we’re coming into the summer months where a lot of our trade is, if we lost a lot there’s a chance I may actually close the doors.
“I think people are just going to avoid the area.
“Things are tough enough already and April with the price rise (National Insurance) is going to hit us all quite hard, so I really can’t see us being here for much longer.”
SGN will carry out the bulk of the maintenance in what it says will be across three phases as part of a 30-year programme to replace old mains with new plastic pipes.
The gas company and its contractor, I&G Contracting, says the first step will result in several rolling road closures of the A2070 from Blackwall Road North to The Street for 13 weeks up to July – including nine straight weeks from March 3 until May 4.
During this period, Silver Hill Road will also be closed from the junction of the A2070 to Abbey Way, alongside a temporary suspension of its one-way system for two weeks from March 10.
Silver Hill Road and Lees Road will also become out-of-bounds to all traffic for seven weeks from June 9 with temporary traffic lights being installed for residents only.
The final programme of works will begin on July 23 and see contractors shut Lees Road while working to the junction of Hythe Road.
It will see the latter close outside Willesborough Budgens for a further seven weeks.
Meanwhile, UK Power Networks is to carry out its own programme of upgrades by excavating trenches to install ducts for new underground electricity cables.
A spokeswoman for the company said: “Between March 3 and May 4, we’ll be using temporary traffic lights to safely work on the A2070 Willesborough Road between Julie Rose Stadium and the junction with Blackwall Road North.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are working closely with the local authority and another utility to plan our work in collaboration, where possible, to keep the traffic impact to a minimum and keep residents updated.
“The work is part of a project to install new cables between Willesborough and Sevington, starting in March 2025 and due to continue in stages until summer 2026.”
Willesborough Lees resident David Cossey fears it will lead to huge traffic congestion across Ashford.
“The traffic situation in Ashford is going to be chaotic as they seem to be doing it all in one glorious go,” the 84-year-old said.
“Ashford only needs something to break down or a slight accident and you might as well forget it as it’s gridlocked.
“When this starts we’re going to have to go along Hythe Road into the town centre and then down Canterbury Road to get to somewhere like Sainsbury’s which is a very long detour and going to add to the traffic everywhere.
“It’s going to be a major problem for people getting to the only hospital in Ashford in an emergency in what is one of the only A+E places in Kent.
“They’ve just put the roadworks as 27 weeks because it seems better than saying six months.”
Kent County Council (KCC ) is responsible for maintaining public roads across the county.
When asked to respond to residents’ concerns about the six-month project, a spokesman said: “Road closures are disruptive and frustrating for drivers, but they are essential to maintaining Kent’s roads and the availability of utility services, such as water, gas, telephone and broadband, that everyone relies on.
“KCC does not have the power to stop utility companies carrying out planned or emergency works on our roads.
“We use the limited powers we do have to minimise disruption wherever possible – in this case, by having the works at the same time rather than having two separate closures at different times.
“We make sure the companies and providers working on our roads are adhering to the conditions of their permits and will implement fines where any company or provider fails to meet these conditions.”
The works will also take place at the same time SGN carries out maintenance in Newtown this spring.
Connecting South Willesborough to the town centre, sections of Crowbridge Road and Newtown Road will be out-of-bounds from March 3 until April when gas repairs are carried out at the junction of Mead Road.
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