J. and T. Rodger's meal shop, which opened in 1958, is one of a number of South Street businesses feeling the impact of Fife Council's £1.5 million investment to upgrade roads and pavements in St Andrews town centre.

Traders told the Citizen this week of reduced takings, needing to carry deliveries on foot and fewer customers and tourists coming through the door because of traffic disruptions and a lack of parking.

However, Fife Council has stressed the works are essential and efforts have been made to minimise any problems.

The owner of J. and T. Rodger, Kathleen Rodger, said her decision to sell had a lot to do with the current upheaval as well as changing shopping habits, with people able to go to supermarkets and park for free.

"It certainly doesn't help when the roads are dug up," she said.
"No tourist would want to come, it's like a building site."

I.J. Mellis Cheesemonger manager, David Rundle, said the past two weeks had been the worst since the start of the roadworks, with trade more than 25 per cent down on what would be expected.

With deliveries, people had to park away from South Street and walk "carrying huge cheeses," and the shop's rubbish bins needed to be carried further away for uplift.

"The council is basically running the small businesses out of town at the moment," said Mr Rundle.

Liz Swankie, manager of the Cancer Research UK shop, Wishes, said lunchtime was normally their busy period, but added: "There's not a lot of people around now."

She felt the roadworks had made a big impact on weekly takings and fewer people seemed to be coming into the town centre.

"I daresay, once finished, it'll look great ... but it's been a hard slog as far as the business side is concerned," she said.

The Scottish Shop proprietor, Kirpal Sually, said his business was down by 50 per cent over eight weeks as a knock-on effect of people not coming into St Andrews.

"It's going to drive the tourists away from St Andrews," he said, calling for a reduction in the rates of affected businesses.

According to Scottish Government information, traders can appeal their rateable value if a physical change in a local area — for example, major roadworks — causes a material change of circumstances which affects the value of a property.

Meanwhile, St Andrews Merchants' Association chair, Jude Innes, said upgrading the South Street road surface was "absolutely needed" and encouraged people to remain positive about the inevitable disruptions caused by the major works.

"I think it will be worth it in the end," she added.

Transportation services lead officer, design and construction (north), Mark Dewar, said the roadworks were due to be completed in the first week of May and, once done, the carriageway should not require further attention for 10 to 20 years.

Before work began, a letter to traders had asked about opening hours and individual circumstances to assist the contractor's planning, and footpath access to each business had been maintained.

Mr Dewar said such a major project would inevitably cause some disruption, but South Street would become a more attractive street for customers and traders as a result.

He added: "We can't just wave a magic wand and people go away one night and the next day it's been done.

"Hopefully, there's going to be a longer term gain."