Chip shop owner still counting cost of winter flood
BBCA chip shop owner has said he has nothing "to fall back on" after his business flooded during a storm.
James Ruddy, who owns Ruddy's Fish & Chips in Lydney, Gloucestershire, said he was "lucky" to have flood insurance when Storm Bert hit the town in November 2024, but he is unable to get the same cover now.
Town businesses say they are still being affected by the impact of the storm, which includes the partial closure of the bridge on Newerne Street which was damaged by flooding and then struck by a car nine days later.
Gloucestershire County Council said the bridge would be repaired between 28 July and 15 August - more than eight months after it was damaged.
Mr Ruddy, who reopened his chip shop in March, said it had been "frustrating" not to know whether flood prevention steps would be taken.
"Whether they fix the bridge or not, it might just happen again," he said.
"We can't even get flood insurance now... so, if it were to happen again, we don't have that to fall back on.
"We have to get separate flood insurance, which is a lot of money and they only end up paying 25% of what you lost."
Emma Kemsley, who owns Newerne Street businesses The Dressing Room and Élan, said shoppers were being put off coming into the town by the closure and were "using other high streets".
"It's such a shame when we're still not seeing all the businesses reopened yet, people are still waiting for insurance money and to be refitted," she said.
"So it's just waiting for life to be fed back into the town."
The bridge was fully closed from November until January, at which point one lane was reopened under traffic light control.
But Joseph Wayne, a resident, said it had been "dangerous" for pedestrians to walk near the bridge due to issues with the traffic lights.
"The temporary traffic lights have been malfunctioning so pedestrians have found it hard to cross the road," he added.
However, fellow resident Mike Davis said, while the traffic lights were "inconvenient", it had made things "better for pedestrians".
"It's stopped a lot of commercial vehicles running through the town... since it's been shut, it's forcing them [to use the bypass]. That's good, isn't it?"
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said repair works might be brought forward if consent from the Environment Agency "is received sooner", and thanked residents for their patience.
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