Desperate business owners set to protest as Midhurst's North Street crisis drags on

North Street, a main artery to the town and surrounding areas, has been shut since March 16 after a huge fire destroyed the Angel Inn, leaving nothing but the historic frontage.

Nearly six weeks later and the crucial route remains shut. The effects of this has been considerable to businesses with significantly less passing trade and revenue to match.

Now desperate business owners are encouraging residents and others to take to the street at 10am on Thursday, April 27, for a peaceful protest.

Sarah O’Sullivan, Olive Interiors West Street, said: “We’ve seen our income drop by 90 per cent since the road closed. We’ve had to attend fairs in other locations over the last few weeks to try and keep thing going.

"It is completely exhausting loading up our stock of furniture and fragile decorative items and unloading again every week. We can’t keep going on like this.”

James MacGregor, from Stockley Trading said: “Small businesses are recovering from lockdown over a two year period. The emergency loans that resulted from lock down and sustained those businesses still need repaying.

"We cannot last what will be eight weeks with this level of reduced income – assuming the road opens fully by May 12. Midhurst is a tourist destination, ‘the heart of the South Downs National Park’ it is endowed with old buildings and charm, but without shops it has no heart.”

Geoff Allnutt owners of Allnutts, West Street, said: “We do appreciate the support from CDC with the grant money for businesses and marketing support for the town.

"However, the grants are a maximum of £1,800 to help with marketing and only for businesses in the town centre, which equates to only £225 per week if the road is closed for eight weeks. Many businesses are losing more than that a day. This doesn’t in any way replace our loss of income and the potential lower footfall that will continue in the town as people have got used to taking their custom elsewhere.

"As one of the directors of the town team we’ve been working hard to come up with incentives to get people back into the town, but it is a drop in the ocean compared to the difference fully opening the road would make.”

In a lengthy statement, the district council announced last week that building owners had not come to agreement on the frontage and the future of the site is now in the hands of SDNP.

A statement from Chichester District Council read: "Given the legal obligation to preserve what is possible of the listed buildings and to address the significant impact on Midhurst and the surrounding area, its community and businesses, the South Downs National Park Authority has taken the decision, with the support of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, to step in and use statutory planning powers.

"The South Downs National Park Authority has already appointed a structural engineer to design a solution to shore up and protect the listed buildings. This will enable the road to open as soon as possible. The authorities recognise the need for urgent action and everything is being done to speed up the process.”