A UTILTY company has been accused of failing to engage properly with local people over the closure of a main road.

Businesses and residents in the Liskeard area are bracing themselves for weeks of delays as the St Cleer Road is set to be shut until Christmas.

Work is being carried out by South West Water (SWW) to lay water mains supply to new houses on the Persimmon estate at Trevethan Meadows.

Local Cornwall Councillor Nick Craker says that SWW carried out no consultation with the town council or local community over the work and how best to minimise disruption.

The company stated that it had “delivered letters to local customers and businesses in the area to make them aware of the upcoming works and erected advanced warning signs”.

One local business – the egg packing operation based at Horizon Farm in St Cleer – says that its delivery lorries have effectively been cut off.

The official diversion route via Callington contains a bend that is impossible for articulated lorries to navigate, as well as a section with low trees, says manager Nigel Lapthorne.

“We categorically had no notification of the closure until we saw the diversion signs starting to go up,” said Mr Lapthorne.

Mr Lapthorne continued: “Since then we have voiced our concerns about the impact on our business on a daily basis to both SWW and Cornwall Highways and as yet, all we have is a reference number from Cornwall Highways: they have offered no dialogue with us at all.

“By necessity we use articulated lorries coming to and from the site between Monday and Fridays and the diversion route they have put in place cannot physically accommodate this size of vehicle.

“The artic lorries can neither turn right or left at the bend coming off the St Cleer road near Liskeard as it heads towards Pensilva. We physically cannot get anywhere to get these vehicles back to a main road safely.

“We employ around 32 staff at this site, we are now approaching our busiest time of the year, and our articulated transport movements will only be increasing.

“We have made various written representations to our local MP town and parish councillors but to no avail. We are gravely concerned that the impact on our business will be so severe that we will be left with having to make decisions about our business future all for the wrong reasons.”

A last minute meeting with SWW about a potential turning space for the lorries at the closure site came to nothing, Mr Lapthorne continued, as the next day this part of the road had been closed off and a channel already dug in the lane.

Meanwhile ordinary motorists coming in and out of Liskeard from the St Cleer direction could also be in for some snarl ups: the diversion route for school and public buses is via Coldstyle Road, where parked cars along the side of the road reduce the space in places to one lane.

Resident Shaun Medlin said: “Our small terrace has no off-street parking, so we all rely on street parking, which unfortunately isn’t adjacent to our homes, because of the restrictions of yellow lines. This restricts the flow of traffic. It’s bad enough normally, so now to  be a major detour route for the next few months, it’s going to be a complete nightmare.”

Cllr Nick Craker said he had been in regular contact with  South West Water, contractor Kier and Cornwall Highways since the road closure was approved to try and get more information.

“Originally planned for nearer four months, the works have been reduced to over two months,” he said.

“If South West Water can open one lane of traffic sooner, they will.

“I am extremely concerned about the disruption this will have to residents and businesses in and around Liskeard. We know this type of infrastructure needs upgrading, but engagement with the wider community should have been undertaken.

“It’s a real shame SWW did not talk to the community or Town Council.”

Chairman of St Cleer Parish Council Kevin Johnson described the 25-mile official diversion as “ridiculous at a time of heightened carbon emissions awareness and record fuel prices”.

“There is not even the prospect, so far as we are aware, of evening or overnight opening to ease the disruption,” he said.

“This situation is unreasonably impacting all of the population centres north of Liskeard and retailers in Liskeard are likely to see the effect in the run up to Christmas.”

Cllr Johnson said that temporary restrictions for on-street parking or temporary one-way flow systems could have been considered to reduce the impact.

But he added that it was not right to heap all the blame onto South West Water, as the current situation was a consequence of approved development.

“Liskeard Town Council and Cornwall Council have been involved in the planning approvals which have created this requirement to upgrade services and Cornwall council highways should have sanctioned the work in the highway, approved the submitted road closure consents and authorised the traffic management plans,” he said.

“Perhaps the town and county councillors might take this into account when they are required to consider the pre-app for another 150 houses opposite Trevecca, then the 200 at Tencreek, the 18 by the old Magistrates Court, and the 77 at Horizon Farm.”

A South West Water spokesperson said: “We will look to complete the work and reopen the road by 23 December. We would like to thank customers for their patience while we complete this essential work.”