‘How are we supposed to function as normal when people can’t get to us?’
It’s a beautiful, quiet corner of the UK full of country roads, rolling hills and pretty villages. But pub landlords in a remote area of Carmarthenshire fear an impending two-month road closure could spell the end for their businesses as potential customers will be forced to navigate lengthy detours to reach them.
A relatively minor section of the B4310 between the small villages of Nantgaredig and Brechfa is set to close in both directions from today for up to two months. The closure will occur near the small village of Felingwm Isaf, affecting traffic heading both north and south, including towards the main A40 trunk road that links the market towns of Carmarthen and Llandelio.
Despite the short distance of the closure, motorists will encounter diversions in both directions as they won’t be able to travel directly between several villages, reports WalesOnline.. Carmarthenshire Council has stated that the closure is necessary “to ensure public safety” while workers clear vegetation and construct a concrete block. However, for those running local businesses along the affected route, the timing of the closure couldn’t be worse.
“We have worked so hard on our business to build it up and we have so many bookings pencilled in for January and February,” said Kathryn Jones, owner of the Forest Arms in Brechfa
“We had charity events lined up, bookings in place for 10, 12, 18 people. About 90% of our customers come up to Brechfa from the Nantgaredig area, where the A40 turns off. They are not going to want to do a 40-minute detour to get here. There are various back roads that people can use but those roads are in such a bad state after the bad weather we’ve had in the run-up to Christmas and they are only going to get worse if everyone has to travel on them. The whole thing just hasn’t really been thought through. Children living up here (in the Brechfa area) don’t even know how they are going to get to school.”
Kathryn believes business proprietors such as herself ought to have been consulted or at minimum informed directly regarding the closure, considering it will certainly affect their capacity to operate.
“The first I knew of it was when I passed a sign on the road on the way towards Brechfa from the A40,” she explained. “One of the signs says ‘businesses open as normal’. But how are we supposed to function as normal when people can’t get to us? And there isn’t even a sign at the turning from the A40 – you have to travel up a fair distance before you see a sign that the road ahead will be closed.”
Based on a map from the Causeway website – which tracks traffic disruptions – roadworks are scheduled south of Felingwm Isaf and further north between Felingwm Isaf and Felingwm Uchaf throughout January and February and into March. Originally, Carmarthenshire Council planned to shut the road in both directions for the entire duration of the project, meaning zero access at any point, seven days a week.
After facing considerable opposition, the authority has agreed to “revise the scheme to help reduce the impact as much as possible”. Consequently, the route will remain closed during weekdays but will reopen each Friday at 3.30pm and shut again at 8am every Monday. This arrangement at least ensures that the Forest Arms and neighbouring enterprises will have typical weekend access.
The council stated: “While this adjustment may unfortunately extend the overall duration of the works, we will do everything practically possible to accelerate progress where feasible. We hope this arrangement will assist with weekend trading and help support local businesses during this period.”
However, the situation isn’t quite so straightforward according to Kathryn, who has decided to shut the Forest Arms from Monday through Thursday until further notice. The establishment will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.
“We are always full on weekends but we have 28 staff on the books, eight of whom are full-time. Even being open on weekends, I just won’t have enough hours to go around for them all.
“We’ve got council tax to pay, utility bills, other costs, and we just won’t have the money coming in to cover it all. I’ll just have to tell the staff that I don’t have enough hours for them all. I was supposed to hear back from certain people at the council but I have not heard anything.
“Another concern is that people will see there’s a road closure in place and assume that they can’t get to the pub on any day without taking a big diversion. Will people realise that the road will be open as normal on weekends? We hope so but they might see the road is closed during the week, turn around and not bother coming back.
“We’ll just have to try it out for a couple of weeks and if it doesn’t work we will have to shut up shop for the duration of the road closure. We won’t be able to carry the stock from one weekend to the next, the council won’t give us any compensation, and our insurance won’t cover it.
“And it’s not just us, it will have a massive impact on local residents who need to get about, who need to go to the shops or get to the local surgery.”
While minor roads provide access to certain parts of the villages and areas not reachable via the B4310, Carmarthenshire Council’s official diversion will direct drivers much further north. The detour heads east via the A40 to Llandeilo, then north along the B4302 through Taliaris and Talley, before heading northwest along the B4337 to Llansawel, and finally south along the B4310 back towards Brechfa.
For those travelling from the Brechfa area, this journey would need to be undertaken in reverse, leading to the A40 near Llandeilo, some 16 miles east of Carmarthen. The diversion route map can be seen below.
When questioned about the necessity for a full road closure, Carmarthenshire Council clarified that there isn’t enough space for workers to operate safely without entering a live traffic lane or navigating the steep embankment. This necessitates a complete road closure rather than implementing a traffic light, one-way system for the duration of the works.
Furthermore, the council stated “there is also no safe space for machinery to deliver and position concrete blocks, and concrete deliveries cannot be unloaded safely without implementing a road closure”.
Rachael Garside, who runs the Plough Inn in Felingwm Uchaf, a few miles south of Brechfa, is another business owner who disagrees with the council’s plans – and the manner in which they have been communicated.
“This road closure will badly affect business at a time of year when every customer counts,” said Rachael, who runs the Plough Inn with her partner Joe.
“It’s already a challenging time in hospitality – we doubt many people will travel miles out of their way to get to us and it could even be the tipping point that finishes us off completely.”
Rachael reveals that she and the surrounding local community feel “badly let down” because she, like Kathryn, claims the first indication of the looming road closure came when she noticed a sign beside the B4310 just a week before Christmas.
“It’s been impossible to get any information from the council since then – communication has been really poor,” she added. “Rural communities can already feel isolated – this feels like we’re literally being cut off.”
The council maintains that the closure is essential to undertake “safety-critical works on the highway, ensuring the long-term safety and reliability of the route for all road users.”
It stated that “all works are being undertaken in full compliance with Safe System of Work regulation”, and that bus operators have been notified of alternative routes for transporting pupils to different schools. A council spokeswoman stated: “An official diversion route will include clear signage to assist motorists. In addition, ‘Business Open as Usual’ signs have been installed to support local businesses and maintain access wherever possible. The investment in these works will also help future-proof access to local businesses and surrounding properties.”
