TRADERS who have been hit hard by the ongoing closure of Church Street West are making a bid for more compensation.

Businesses in Radcliffe town centre have reported losses of thousands of pounds, but some have been left dismayed by what they see as inconsistencies in money offered by United Utilities.

The road has been closed for major sewer works to clean up the River Irwell since last July, with the £1.7 million project severely delayed due to obstructions underneath the road and an unstable river embankment.

United Utilities say they are considering further compensation claims from businesses, with the road due to be open this weekend to facilitate the Radcliffe Carnival parade. However,

no date has yet been confirmed for a permanent re-opening of Church Street West.

Eugene O’Donnell, chairman of the Radcliffe Town Team, has seen takings at his Deansgate business, New Button, drop by £8,000 this year, whilst he has received no compensation.

He said: “My trade was doing fantastically well, but since the roadworks came in, it has taken a nosedive, and I know the same thing has happened for a lot of people around here.

“Shoppers would rather go somewhere else than go through the effort of coming to Radcliffe town centre, which has been such a nightmare for a long time.

“United Utilities say that they won’t give me compensation because they say I’m not directly affected by the works, but that’s completely false – they are missing the point.

“We all understand that the work has to be done and that it was always going to take a long time, but United Utilities have to understand the adverse effect it has had on our businesses.”

A spokesman for United Utilities said: “We have been in contact with traders before and throughout our work and to date we have paid more than £40,000 in compensation to businesses.

“We are still in the process of considering claims and we will be liaising direct with the businesses concerned. In recognition of the wider impact of our work we have also donated £10,000 to support the Christmas Lights and the Radcliffe Town Centre Fund.

“We have been working hard to make sure the work is complete and Church Street West is re-opened in time for the Radcliffe Carnival this weekend.

“We hope local people will come along and support the carnival, support their local businesses and start to enjoy the benefits of a cleaner river.”

Michael Hardman, manager of Mad Mix E-Cigarettes in Church Street West, has been left frustrated by the series of delays.

He said: “I have got £3,600 in liquids that have gone out of date. United Utilities guaranteed that they would compensate me for them, but now they say I can have £1,500 - take it or leave it.

“We have had no foot traffic passing by the store and our takings are way down on what they should be.

“Shops around here have had to close down because of this, and it doesn’t seem like there has been any rush to get the work done.”

Mr O'Donnell is asking shoppers and businesses to e-mail him with their experiences of difficulty shopping in Radcliffe on eugene@newbutton.co.uk