‘We can’t wait for it to be over’: Leeds businesses count the cost of months of roadworks misery
Construction began on 5 January and is scheduled to be completed in early 2027
Businesses in Leeds City Centre say months of roadworks have driven customers away and made it difficult for people to reach their doors.
Traders on Great George Street have said the work is having a ‘huge impact’ after speaking to the YEP claiming that it has left the street difficult to access for much of the year.
Work started in the first week of January but traders say they have faced months of disruption.
The work is part of a £12.76 million scheme, a flagship project funded by the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and partnered with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, designed to enhance connectivity, accessibility, and sustainability across southern and northern sections of Leeds city centre.
George Gamble, owner of Brod sandwich bar, said the roadworks had a “huge impact” on his business, with barriers sometimes blocking the entrance to his shop.
He told the YEP: “There were moments in the year where we literally couldn’t access the shop.
“We’d arrive in the morning and there would be barricades across the front of the door, so we’d have to get the builders to move it.”
George said the disruption had been particularly difficult because the small shop already had limited space for customers queuing outside.
“I’m very much ready for the work to be over,” he added.
Jesse Lazenby, who works at the North Star Coffee Shop said the roadworks had discouraged people from visiting Great George Street.
They said: “The roadworks have been driving people away from this road in particular, as people don’t want to come up here.
“It’s really loud, it’s even difficult to drive in a car because you don’t really know where you’re allowed to go. So it’s been inaccessible for everyone.”
Jesse said the business had already noticed an improvement in footfall after the works cleared from its side of the pavement, allowing people to walk directly past the shop.
But said their first few months as a business had been particularly difficult, with customers struggling to find the café amid the disruption.
With Leeds ranked 24th out of 54 UK cities for roadworks disruption in a recent study, the experiences of Great George Street traders highlight the impact prolonged works can have on local businesses.
The study found roadworks in Leeds have lasted an average of almost 99 days, putting the city among those facing significant disruption for motorists.
For businesses on Great George Street, the hope is that the end of the works will bring more customers back through their doors.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in early 2027.