Traders to be left in dark for a whole day (From Gazette Series)

Traders to be left in dark for a whole day

FURIOUS traders on Cam High Street face the final nail in the coffin next week following the shock announcement that they will be plunged into darkness.

Central Networks, which services the area's mains supply, will cut all electricity to homes and businesses between 9am and 4pm to install new equipment nearby.

Many firms are preparing to close up shop for the day or at best, face severe disruptions.

It has enraged the town's struggling traders who told the Gazette this week that they have already suffered enormous losses due to Severn Trent Water's sewage repairs which have closed High Street for three months.

Paul Cunnigham, owner of A1 Appliances, said: "I only found out about this when somebody dropped a leaflet through my door on Tuesday. I'm absolutely devastated.

"Because of all the disruptions we've faced I spend half my time twiddling my thumbs - now I'm going to have to do it in the dark.

"The electricity company hasn't offered us any back-up power. They wouldn't treat big stores like this - they think we're 'yokels'."

Jeremy Clutterbuck, director at LW Clutterbucks, said: "I just can't believe there's going to be another disruption.

"We have a small generator but it's not practical to run on all day. The cut will disrupt our computers and therefore our funeral services."

Others businesses said they face losing refrigerated stock.

Hazel Ponting, landlady of the Berkeley Arms, said: "We'll have to close for the day and expect to lose a lot of the food we keep in the freezer."

Alex Yeung, owner of Cam Takeaway, added: "I'll lose a lot of goods - small businesses lose out again."

The electricity company, which covers parts of the Midlands and the West, said it hopes to restore power to the area as soon as possible.

Jane Branscombe, spokesman for Central Networks West, said: "The work that needs to be done is to a low voltage underground cable. We are installing a new bit of kit at a local sub station, and we need to make it safe for our engineers so we need to turn off the power supply.

"We are only required to give two days notice but we try to give those affected time to make plans.

"The time scale we give out are the outside maximums which means people could be reconnected a lot sooner."

The power sub station is on the Tesco store site in Cam.

A spokesman for the branch said the supermarket firm would also be affected by the cut, although it has been provided with a generator by Central Networks.

She said: "We are aware that there is a power supply issue in the area and the company will let us know whether power used by our store is affecting local properties, although that is not necessarily the case."

For the traders it is another twist in an ongoing horror story.

Kevin Nelmes, who owns Kayles Newsagent, said called for compensation for shopowners.

He said: "I will have to shut for the day and hope to get some payback from the people behind it.

"On a positive note, this is probably the best time to do it though - while we're up against it. Better now than when the roadworks are gone."