The owner of Granite City Fish has claimed South College Street roadworks in Aberdeen have cost him £6,000 in lost revenue.
Ed Fletcher said his customer numbers plunged by 80% during the project.
And he hit out at Aberdeen City Council, saying the roadworks “destroyed” his business.
The busy commuter road was shut off to all traffic in June 2022, causing months of congestion, queues and diversions while the £10.7 million project was carried out.
The work created new cycle routes, extra approach lanes at the junctions with Wellington Place and Millburn Street, and revamped parking areas outside the railway arches at the bottom of South College Street.
The road finally reopened earlier this month, with the last bit of work to create a second left-hand turn lane from Palmerston Place onto North Esplanade West due for completion in autumn.
City council ‘destroyed’ customer base
Mr Fletcher, whose business has been based on Poynernook Road since 1991, claimed the council never contacted him or any other business owners in the area to let them know about the roadworks.
He said: “The council has destroyed our regular customers. The drop in business is at least 80%.
“How am I to get compensation? After all, they spent £10.7m – surely they have some loose change to pay for our lost revenue.
“I had my die-hards but the regulars couldn’t be bothered doing the long route.
“There was really only one road you could come in and out of, and it just put people off.
“Surely they should have done a survey of all businesses and how many people use their bikes to shop before spending that huge amount of money.
“The council never warned us. There was a road closure and that was it. I knew nothing about it.”
Need for cycle lanes?
Mr Fletcher has also questioned the need to introduce designated bicycle lanes.
He said: “I’ve run my fish business for almost 40 years and can count on one hand how many cyclists pop in for some seafood in one year.
“It’s a lot of money. The council could have cut their costs by just using tarmac and marking a cycle lane with some white paint for dual use.
“It’s just beyond me.”
Mr Fletcher is not the only business owner who was left frustrated by the project.
Lewis Thomson, owner of Results Gym Aberdeen under one of the railway arches, has launched expansion plans to help rebuild the customer base he lost.
Aberdeen City Council has been contacted for comment.
