'Town's revamp is forcing me out' (From Free Press Series)

'Town's revamp is forcing me out'

A CHEPSTOW trader fears she will be forced out of business after losing £10,000 worth of sales since the start of developments in the town.

Abbie Beavis, 46, has been running Iota Children's Wear in Bank Street for two and a half years and says she has been losing up to £500 a week since work started in May 2003 on the former Lloyds Bank building nearby.

She says it is a struggle to survive and will have to re-evaluated the situation after the summer - possibly closing if the work is not finished by August, as predicted.

Work started at the back of the old Lloyds building in May 2003 and Mrs Beavis was assured the work would be completed by January 2004: the date of completion has now been changed to August 2004.

"The business was just starting to turn around, but since the work started outside it has knocked us for six. It's like starting over again," said Abbie. "A lot of my customers have toddlers in pushchairs and it's too dangerous for them to come up here sometimes, because the road is blocked with works vehicles. Also, the scaffolding is obscuring the front of my shop from the main street and people are missing me."

In just two weeks, more than 60 people signed a petition on display in the shop saying they would do anything to help the it stay in Chepstow. Abbie is keeping the petition to show the town council.

Several other shops in the town centre have been closed for sometime, while others are marked for sale or being considered for the market.

Paul Richings, chairman of Chepstow chamber of Commerce and Tourism, said: "I feel that to have done nothing to change the way that Chepstow looks would have been negative in itself.

"Traders have already stated that their trading figures are in decline, and that is with leaving things as they stand.

"Yes the regeneration work will initially have a negative effect on trade within the town, due to the disruption caused by the work.

"I hope the traders of Chepstow will take the necessary precautions to ensure survival until they can reap the rewards of such a positive move.

"I strongly feel that the regeneration will have a positive outcome for the traders, people of Chepstow and tourists alike."

MP Huw Edwards has said plans for the town's regeneration have not come his way and he has not received any complaints from his constituents.