Southampton shops struggling with impact of Coxford Road closure

Carlo Pace has been running Mimmo in Aldermoor Road for 28 years.

He had planned to get his son, who is studying hairdressing, to work alongside him – much like his own father had done for him.

But he and the five other small businesses in the road are seeing up to 50% less custom now that Southampton City Council has closed Coxford Road.

As previously reported, the route will be shut from the junction with Greywell Avenue to the junction with Lords Hill Way/Lordswood Road for around 21 weeks.

The businesses in Aldermoor Road are at a loss due to the closure of Coxford Road

Work started just six days ago, but Mr Pace and Rajinder Saghera, who alongside his family runs Aldermoor Convenience Store, have already recorded significant losses.

"The landlord still wants their rent, that's the problem," Mr Pace told the Echo.

"It's not that I'm angry, I appreciate that roads need to be done, but when its affecting a business like us, it's a small business, we're not Tesco, not big companies, and it was like bang, that's it, we're shutting the road that people use to get to you.

"We need some kind of solution and if it's done over 21 weeks, well I'm not even sure. The bus route has been stopped so there's not even a bus to come here – and 30% of my customers are pensioners, that's 30% gone already. I'd say I'm losing 40% in total.

"A lot of them think we are closed because there's not even a sign on the main drag saying the shops are still open.

The businesses in Aldermoor Road are at a loss due to the closure of Coxford Road

"I've just got over Covid, been here 28 years, and now I'm thinking this is going to be the last of my shop, the end of an era."

Mr Saghera said that his convenience store has seen losses of up to 50%.

He explained that the passing trade has dried up and that school children are no longer using the shop.

"There was no offering of compensation, they didn't seem to acknowledge that business will be affected, and as soon they closed it, bang, straight away, it was really, really quiet," he said.

"They say yeah, there are diversions, but the diversions are ridiculous. We can't handle this for 21 weeks.

"We really need to force the council's hand here because they haven't offered anything to anybody, and they really are impacting these local businesses.

The businesses in Aldermoor Road are at a loss due to the closure of Coxford Road

"It's been a week and they haven't done anything. Why close it for that long if you're not getting on with it?

"We would either expect some sort of compensation or, the best solution would be to get the road opened up, temporary lights, because this isn't going to work."