"WE deserve compensation" says a city centre café owner after he claimed roadworks have had a major effect on trade.

Ayhan Cetin, owner of Coffee Warehouse on Foregate Street, has claimed that the paving work outside his business is deterring customers from visiting.

Paving work is currently being carried out on The Foregate, with the pavement outside Black and White, Coffee Warehouse and Toni&Guy closed.

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Mr Cetin said: "We are not happy about this at all and I think we deserve some form of compensation due to the effect this has had on our trade.

"We are open as usual but the roadworks have really affected things and we want to make other businesses aware of the issues we have been facing.

"We appreciate that by the end of this work, there will be a nice new pavement but that is not helping us as a business."

Staff at Coffee Warehouse have also seen lots of pedestrians walking in the road around the closure alongside traffic to rejoin the pavement.

Worcester News: Pedestrians are walking alongside traffic in the road to get around a closure on The Foregate.Pedestrians are walking alongside traffic in the road to get around a closure on The Foregate. (Image: Newsquest)

According to One.network, emergency, residential and pedestrian access is being maintained at all times during the closure.

A letter was also sent to residents and businesses before the work began.

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The roadworks are part of the final stage of a multi-million-pound improvement scheme.

The work to improve parking bays, footpaths, handrails and more has already been completed in Angel Row, Angel Place, St Swithin’s Street, Trinity Passage, Trinity Street and The Cross.

The project is being delivered by Worcestershire County Council in partnership with Worcester City Council and funded by the Future High Street Fund.

The general roadworks, being carried out by Worcestershire County Council contractors Ringway, is scheduled to be completed by July 14. 

The overall programme, which will continue into 2024, is part of the major regeneration of the city centre, funded by £17.9 million from Worcester City Council’s successful bid to the government’s Future High Streets Fund.

We have contacted Worcestershire County Council for more information.