A NEWTOWN businessman says his garage has been driven to the brink of extinction, after more than two years of road diversions for the Newtown bypass.

Andy Owen, who has run the Dingle Hall Garage on Middle Dolfor Road for 45 years, is seeking compensation from the Welsh Government due to the works, which he says have forced him to lay off staff at his business.

He says he has also lost valuable contract business due to the diversions, which take vehicles down a narrow single track lane which is unsuitable for the recovery trucks and goods vehicles he had contracts to work on.

However the Welsh Government say they will not compensate Mr Owen, as his business “has always been maintained via a minor road”.

“It has been an absolute nightmare from day one,” Mr Owen said.

“We had no notice that the road was ever going to be closed. As it is, it’s been shut for 74 weeks over the last two years.

“It’s had a huge effect on my business. As soon as the road closed, we lost the HGVs and the breakdown trucks. That’s 50 per cent of the business overnight.

“I’ve lost two members of staff as I didn’t have enough work for them. Those contracts are difficult to get – I’m hoping to get the work back when the works are eventually finished but who knows.”

On the day the County Times visited, Middle Dolfor Road was signposted as closed with no access to the business, but we were able to drive on to the business without passing any roadworks.

“If I had a pound for every time someone had asked me why the road was closed (when it seems no work was taking place) I wouldn’t need to be seeking compensation.

“It seems like it’s easier just to close the whole road for a month at a time rather than closing it as and when work was needed to be done.”

Montgomeryshire AM Russell George says he has written to Transport Secretary Ken Skates in support of his “very real” case, asking the government to take action to support the garage.

“I’ve written to Ken Skates asking him to intervene in this case,” he said.

“I met with Andy and a Welsh Government official last August to see what could be done. His business has been significantly disadvantaged by the bypass and it’s been caused by an issue not of his making.

“The Welsh Government needs to look at how he can be compensated.”

Cllr Joy Jones, who has been liaising with Mr Owen for some time in an effort to resolve the problem, added: “Before the build no one was aware that this road would ever be closed this often or for such long periods of time.

“Although the bypass was much needed for Newtown, those people affected negatively need to be treated fairly and compensated.”

The Welsh Government says it will “continue to attempt to mitigate the inconvenience” but they say they cannot offer any form of financial compensation to Dingle Hall Garage, which has suffered 74 weeks of closures to the main road approaching the business.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We cannot directly compensate Mr Owen for any loss of business that he has incurred as access to his business has always been maintained via a minor road.

“We will continue to work with Mr Owen to attempt to mitigate the inconvenience that his business has suffered whilst the bypass has been under construction.

“Remedial works to repair a section of Mr Owen’s driveway that approaches the business are now planned to be completed in the next month, whilst the whole length of middle Dolfor road is planned to be resurfaced as part of active travel commitments that have been agreed between the project team and Powys County Council / Sustrans. This road connects the Dingle Hall garage to the A483 and will hopefully help increase the number of people wanting to use Mr Owen’s garage.”