Traders fear a planned "bus gate" blocking traffic except public transport from using the road will kill passing trade.

And parish councillors in Myland are worried the traffic scheme could threaten a parade of shops and businesses in Nayland Road, Colchester.

The proposal is part of the Northern Approaches road scheme. And while the parish council is not against the development of the area, they felt a bus gate - which would stop through traffic using the road - would affect passing trade vital to the lifeblood of the shops and businesses there.

Jackie Lester, who has run Jackie's hair shop in Nayland Road for 23 years, said the proposal would harm all the shops.

"We would not survive. It would be the death knell.

"The borough council is not listening to us," said the Myland parish councillor.

"If this does happen, it will not affect businesses for a little while, although I would think the filling station would disappear overnight.

"Selling on the business would be difficult who would want to buy a worthless shop? No-one would want to buy a business in a cul-de-sac."

Kitchings hardware and DIY store has been in Nayland Road for 40 years. It was started by Roy Kitching and is now run by his son-in-law and daughter Alfred and Dezra Baker.

Mr Baker said: "Closing the road to through traffic is not going to do us any favours at all. Nearly 80 per cent of my trade is from other than Myland.

"We were told about this plan a long time ago and we have had different stories from the council. I went to the last planning meeting but we still don't know if it will happen."

Mrs Baker said the council had destroyed North Hill which was now just home to restaurants, had destroyed the Hythe and was now aiming to destroy Myland.

"A lot of our trade comes from the country. This village won't have a shop left if this plan goes ahead," she said.

Desmond Marney who lives in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, has been a regular customer of the shop for many years.

"I come by car for paraffin and bits and pieces. It is the only place where I can get paraffin in bulk. If they close the road I will have to find somewhere else and that is bad news," he said.

At the motor engineer workshop behind the Save filling station, Lofty Tolhurst said he intended to retire in two and a half years time but was sympathetic to the plight of other traders.

"If the road is shut, it will close the filling station and it would be the end of this place," he said.

A spokesman for the Co-op, which has a shop in Nayland Road, said: "We need to fully understand the whole scheme before we comment."

At the Myland Post Office which trebles up as a store and newsagents and fish and chip shop, Pam Arran, whose son-in-law and daughter, Vince and Sarah Ranzulla, own the premises, said: "There will be no point being here if there is nothing going by. It will kill us off."

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Published Friday December 28, 2001