A HAULAGE firm which has been in Chard for 20 years could be sent bankrupt after being told the road where it is based would be closed for a month.

Dearden’s Haulage, Chard Welding Co. and Little Combe garage all found out last Monday that they could have no access to their businesses while a high voltage electric cable is being put down on Chaffcombe Road.

The work is being conducted by LPC, but the road closure has been co-ordinated by Somerset County Council on LPC's request.

Dearden's was initially told road will be closed for more than four weeks, but now, LPC made a last-minute u-turn and said the road will be open on a temporary traffic light system.

Dearden’s Haulage and the other two firms slammed the roadworks, and claim they were given just one week’s notice.

Helen Dearden, co-owner of Dearden’s Haulage, said: “It could close us down, and it could send us bankrupt.

“It takes 20 years to get where we are.

“It could make 11 of us redundant.

“They have told us that we might be allowed to access if we give notice, but customers still can’t get to us, and where the diversion comes out is right by our competitors.

“We have still got the running costs of the business. We have to pay employees, council tax, business tax, the running of the vehicles and vehicle licenses.

“We could go bankrupt.

“The ramifications would be going on for months and to get back to where we are would take years.

“When I rang the council on Monday the lady told me there aren’t any businesses down here. One of them has been here 30 years. We all pay business rates so they must know we exist.

“I feel like some family businesses have no rights whatsoever. That is what it feels like.

“I do feel we are insignificant.

"Two gentlemen came from LPC but they just paid lip service. They weren’t here long, eight and a half minutes would be pushing it.

“In this present climate the actual competition for work is such that when people find somewhere alternative that is where they go.

"Once you lose your customer base you are gone.”

All three businesses said that the diversion routes are unsuitable for their vehicles and do not give them good enough access.

Jean Pugh, owner of Chard Welding Co, said: “We have tried so hard with the council and contractors.

"They don’t want to know. We spoke to the contractors and they weren’t really interested.

“I know they have got a job to do, but we should have known a long time ago. We got a letter on Monday and that is it, done deal."

“I spoke to one of the contractors and he rung me up and he got quite funny on the phone and he was quite bullying you know.

"We have tried and Mrs Dearden has tried but they don’t really want to know."

Anne Whellock, of Little Combe Garage, added: “It will affect us very seriously. We found out last Monday when a lad from the contractors dropped in a covering letter with maps of alternative routes.

“Touches Lane is a restricted by-way. The access to our businesses and to Jean Pugh’s business is in Touches Lane; it is access denied.

“It is planned to go on for four weeks.

"Two chaps from the contractors came in last week and they said that they hope to be finished by mid-March and that they will attempt to allow some access, but there is no promises because the contractors don’t know what they are going to find with regards to laying the high voltage cable.

“They may wind up laying it through the middle of the road but they are in a pickle because they don’t know how they are going to do it and we don’t know how they are going to do it.

“All three of us pay business rates but we might as well not exist. The local authority is quite happy to take money off us but the impact of a road closure doesn’t appear to have registered with Somerset County Council.

“The impact of the permission granted to the solar farm site and the servicing that is required has not been properly thought through.

"The alternative route doesn’t give access to us or Deardens. It is just mind boggling really what the impact is on businesses.”

A Somerset County Council spokesman said: “A road closure is always a last resort and in this case is required to allow a private firm (LPC Construction) to safely put cabling under the road.

"The County council cannot stop this work going ahead – our role is to co-ordinate the work and ensure the proper legal processes are followed.

"We understand that LPC Construction has been in talks to discuss their concerns about access and suggested a special arrangement to allow vehicles to pass through the road closure [and] other options.

"We also understand the contractor is on site this week to explore other options for carrying out the work which do not involve closing the road. We will continue to work with LPC Construction and other parties to ensure this work is carried out with as little disruption as possible.”

Nigel Pearson, county councillor for Chard North, said: "If the proposed road closure of the Chaffcombe Road, from the Furnham Road junction goes ahead for four weeks, at some time in the next 18 months, it will result in Deardens Haulage having to shut for that period of time.

"The lorries used by Deardens are too large to use the alternative route offered by SCC Highways.

"I have spoken to the head of Transport Programs at SCC who has asked his Street Works Team to take a look at this and come up with a plan that will allow Deardens continual access throughout the road works period."

A council spokesman added: "We have been informed that following the investigative work carried out on site today (February 23) by LPC Construction, they have found the carriageway extends under the verge which means they should be able to carry out the work using traffic lights without the need for a full road closure."