'FOOTFALL down by 40 per cent', 'the worst month on record' and 'Kendal transformed to a ghost town’- these are just some of the responses of local retailers to disruptive road works.

Karin Grandal-Park, who runs gift and lifestyle store, Room 19 on Highgate, said the four-week closure of Lound Road, which came to an end on Monday, had scared potential customers away from Kendal.

“People have been avoiding the town since they closed that road,” she said. “Combined with the one-way system, the terrible parking and the fact they have stopped the buses coming along the main street, it has finished us off.”

Ms Grandal-Park, who records the number of people who enters her shop, has seen browser numbers fall by 40 per cent.

“I opened my business in Kendal at the height of the recession believing it was a forward looking town that supported local retailers,” she said. “I have been disgusted over the situation of this road closure. No other business would have been allowed to close a road for four weeks.”

Next door at Impulse Flowers, manager Michaela Jordan has also noticed a significant reduction in trade.

“It’s like a ghost town,” she said. “We have bunches of flowers outside, which people can pick up on their way home and we have never had as much leftover stock as we did last week.”

Meanwhile, Andy Moseley of Madmonks music shop on Kirkland, said: “This has been the worst month on record. I don’t know whether it’s the road works or the recession but it’s been incredible.”

Lound Road was closed to allow essential utility connections to be installed for the new K Village development.

Its closure coincided with recent resurfacing work on Parkside Road and precedes a series of roadblocks on Romney Road, Park Avenue, West Street, Milnthorpe Road, Glebe Road, Anchorite Fields, Gillingate, Bankfield Road and Greengate to allow United Utilities to improve water mains.

Lin Williams, manager of Martins Newsagents on Highgate, said the town had been slightly busier this week now one lane of Lound Road had reopened but expressed concern that the closure and future road works could have a lasting impact.

“People who have come into shop have said the hassle they have had getting into Kendal has put them off coming again,” she added. “I don’t know why they have to do all these road works all at once. I know they want to get it out of the way but it is causing havoc.”

A Cumbria Highways spokesman said the authority strived to co-ordinate road works to cause as little inconvenience as possible, adding: “The only works taking place on a main route in Kendal at the moment are those on Lound Road, which is an essential scheme connecting the K-Village development to the sewer network.

“Without connection to the sewer network at this stage the K-Village development would be delayed and the developers have a statutory right to carry out this work.”

He said the UU water supply improvements were mainly taking place in residential areas and said traffic should flow more freely now Lound Road was partly reopened.

“We apologise for any inconvenience or disruption but regrettably during essential works this is often unavoidable.”