ROADWORKS misery descended on a small road in Cam, much to the surprise of many residents.

Homeowners living in an area of Rowley, near Chapel Street, were furious to find out, with no notice, that Western Power Distribution would be digging up the road to lay underground cables and do away with overhead power cables.

"On the face of it, this is not necessarily a bad thing, despite the fact that the electricity supply works just fine as it is," said local resident Steve Knowlson.

"However, many residents in Rowley did not receive any notification whatsoever, only finding out that we were about to face eight weeks of disruption when a shipping container and metal fencing was plonked in the only parking area on the lane."

The company has also asked for access to several residents’ front gardens to dig them up and run cables into the houses.

Mr Knowlson said: "Western Power are now going to rip up a road that was resurfaced just a few short months ago by Gloucestershire Highways. Do Gloucestershire County Council and the utility companies ever actually talk to each other?

"This is completely unacceptable behaviour by Western Power Distribution. Imposing eight weeks of disruption and inconvenience on the residents of Rowley for no real reason and with no notice, is a shabby way to behave."

Mr Knowlson said residents were visited last week by WPD managers who apologised and agreed to move a welfare unit blocking an area of residents' parking. Letters of notification had only been sent to one end of the street.

Mr Knowlson said he was also made aware that WPD had tried to put the welfare unit on spare land owned by Stroud District Council at Chapel Street and land owned by Tesco, but both declined.

A spokeswoman for Western Power Distribution said managers from the company had visited the residents to discuss their concerns and allay worries.

She said: "We have taken into consideration their concerns and a work cabin that was obstructing parking has been taken away."

Work is due to be finished by September 23.