A major restaurant chain says ongoing work in a town centre road has had a negative effect on business

Harry Ramsden’s says that its eatery and a number of other businesses on Terminus Road have had their shop fronts obstructed with scaffolding for the last 14 months while refurbishment is being carried out at Victoria Mansions.

The council is spending millions of pounds renovating the retail units on the ground floor and accommodation on upper floors all along one side of Terminus Road.

But traders on both sides of the road are unhappy, say trade has dropped and have demanded urgent council action.

This week a spokesperson at Harry Ramsden’s said, “The work has inevitably impacted on trade in the area and negatively affected the morale of the dedicated and long serving team.

“We have been part of the Eastbourne community for more than 13 years and have a loyally following of local residents as well as attracting tourism to the area.”

Traders recently held a meeting with council officers amid complaints that the scaffold has been up for 14 months when the authority originally said it would be up for a few weeks.

Traders’ fury over work in Terminus Road