MAY DAY boosts to business could be scuppered by work overhauling The Plain roundabout, it is feared.

Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith said the programme would run through May because of works to Magdalen Bridge.

Oxford City Council member for St Clements Tom Hayes said it had been hoped that the work would finish before May Day celebrations took place.

Roadworks would be halted for the annual celebrations, the county council said, but Mr Hayes said he feared businesses would still lose out.

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Mr Hayes said: “May Day is usually a massive source of income for local traders and so any disruption is going to have an impact on them.

“Whenever a local authority plans roadworks, they should minimise disruption as much as possible.

“With people having to pass through halted roadworks to get into East Oxford, traders could lose out on business on one of their busiest days, which will have a significant effect on the local economy."

The Plain scheme will see the closure of Cowley Road northbound, between Circus Street and The Plain, from February 16 to March 8.

But part of the scheme, work on Magdalen Bridge footways, is expected to go on through May.

Mr Hayes received a letter from Mr Nimmo Smith that said: “The work programme for The Plain has been planned for a maximum duration of five months with a completion date at the end of May 2015.”

He said that changes to complete resurfacing works over Easter – to avoid a clash with exam period – and to create access points at properties near Cowley Place in February, meant the programme had been extended.

It follows complaints by Magdalen College and Magdalen College School that the work would disrupt students while they revised for exams.

In the letter, Mr Nimmo Smith added: “We have had to extend the programme to have day works in place to complete the footway works to Magdalen Bridge during May.

“Our objective has always been to complete the works in spring 2015.”

The roadworks started on January 5 and barriers and other equipment have been in place since January 7.

The first two-week road closure – to shut access off to St Clement’s Street from the roundabout – will start on January 19 and last to February 1.

Cafe Coco, Kazbar and Cafe Tarifa owner Clinton Pugh said his Cowley Road-based businesses had not been affected yet, but that he and his staff remained “nervous.”

He said: “When they close the roads will be a crucial point. At the moment we are waiting to see what happens, but obviously the more diffucult it is for people to reach us the more it will affect us.

“We are still recovering from the closure of St Clement’s car park.”

Mr Nimmo Smith did not respond to requests for a comment.

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