Cycle lane has 'brought traders to their knees

Mismanagement of roadworks ‘a punch in the face' for businesses

- JENNA CAMPBELL

INSIDE owner Johnathon Barnett's Smoak, his popular coffee and bagel shop on Manchester Road in Chorlton, which opened just over 18 months ago, every table is taken.

But a few days earlier, Johnathan and his customers couldn't even access the building due to ongoing roadworks as part of a £13.4m Chorlton to Manchester Cycleway.

He, along with several other traders claim that, despite raising concerns about the impact of the works on footfall, access and parking over the last 12 months, very little is being done to mitigate against it.

It was due to complete in September 2023, but work is ongoing and he says it is exacerbating the already precarious situation for those trading along Manchester Road leading into Barlow Moor Road, where his cafe is located.

"Before they started work on this section, I was told I would still be allowed access but on the day it happened, I arrived, parked up and wasn't allowed access to the shop at first," recalls Johnathon.