Businesses in Bargoed fear new bollards are hurting trade. They cite loading issues and customer access concerns.
Hanbury Road’s one-way system is already hard. Shopkeeper Taz Dh says this “killed” the town. He runs the One Stop shop there. Taz said the council did not tell them anything. He asked workers, who said they are emergency bollards.
Loading bays fill with cars all the time. Delivery drivers often must park on the pavement. Bollards now block the widest pavement parts. Cars might squeeze into small spaces or block the road. What if police or ambulances need to pass?
Taz’s parents also own Decofore, a shop for 23 years. He feels the council wants to hurt the town. David Greening owns B. Thomas Pet and Garden Supplies. He thinks the bollards will make things harder. His loading bay is often full.
He must then use the pavement for deliveries. Dog food weighs fifteen to twenty kilograms. Elderly or disabled customers can not walk far. The car park sits up a steep hill.
He will block traffic in the road. He feels the decision was rash and uninformed. It makes things much worse. David fears he may have to shut down his business. This is already a hard time for them. He worries more about his customers than himself.
Russell Sorrell owns The Square Royale pub. He finds it hard to unload stock. The town has struggled since the road went one-way. He said patrols and fines hurt businesses. Customers avoid quick stops because of the fines. People feel pushed away. Bollards worsen this problem.
The Caerphilly council received a request for comments.