TRADERS in a busy Oxford street are suffering the January blues because gas pipeline work has closed their road.

Businesses in Little Clarendon Street said the work, which started yesterday and is set to last four weeks, will dent sales and cause delivery difficulties.

The road itself will be closed to through traffic during work to upgrade the area’s ageing iron pipework.

Shop owners admitted the project must go ahead, but claimed they were not given enough notice.

Chris Renshaw, manager of Central, a furniture store in Little Clarendon Street, said the closure would cause problems as the shop sold large items that needed to be delivered or collected by car.

Mr Renshaw added it would also affect delivery of stock and affect sales.

He said: “It’s large pieces and they cannot walk them round from another street.

“We should have been told well in advance.

“It will cause us lots of problems.”

Paul Thomas, manager of sports shop Run Oxford, said he only found out about the work when signs went up in the street.

He said: “I expect trade to go slow over the next four weeks.

“It is not ideal as people cannot park outside during the closure.”

The work is part of an on-going £2.5m project by Southern Gas Networks (SGN) to upgrade infrastructure in the area.

In September, SGN carried out work in Banbury Road, as part of the same upgrade project, which caused significant traffic congestion.

Spokesman Sam O’Connor said the company had to replace all iron pipework within 30 metres of properties, as stipulated by industry watchdog Ofgem. She said the replacement polyethylene pipework would last for up to 80 years.

The company also insisted that the work being carried out now would mean less disruption for businesses in the long run. She added: “When upgrading pipes, we give 20 working days’ advance notice of planned major works to affected people and properties.

“We are committed to working closely with the police and local authorities to plan our work so that it causes the minimum amount of disruption to residents, road users, businesses and traders.”

SGN said the work was scheduled to last four weeks but engineers would try to finish early if possible.

Oxfordshire County Council, the authority responsible for highways, said the suggested diversion for traffic was via Woodstock Road, Leckford Street and Walton Street.