A BUSINESSMAN marooned by a fallen wall has been backed by his customers who cannot reach his mower repair garage easily due to a traffic diversion.

Doug Bennett, who repairs garden machinery, on Rocky Hill, Tavistock, has been almost cut off from customers and delivery drivers for several months after rocks from the road boundary wall fell opposite his workshop. The road was then closed by the Devon County Council highways officers to traffic and pedestrians, effectively reducing his ability to trade.

He and customers pressed the county council for improved access while protecting traffic and pedestrians. As a result a new traffic order has been put in place which allows delivery drivers and customers to drive down close to the garage as a compromise. until the wall is mended. The wall is privately owned and the council is talking to the owner about repairs.

Mower mender Dough Bennett has won a partial battle for access.
Mower mender Dough Bennett has won a partial battle for access. (Tindle)

Jerry Pellings has been a customer of Doug for 35 years. He said:”I have a ride-on mower which I need because I’m partially disabled. So, I find it difficult to get to Doug’s premises when I can’t drive there, let alone park outside now the council has closed the road. The only way round it is for Doug to collect parts for mending or him to drop off new orders, but that’s not the point – he should not be virtually cut off as a business. DCC have already nearly put him out of action which is really bad. At one time they cut vehicle access to him totally. But now there’s partial access, but only from the top of the hill. which does help. But it seems to deter delivery drivers who are not sent the right way for the diversion. The whole thing needs to be sorted and it would help more if there was access from the bottom of the hill also.

Doug Bennett is facing losses due to restricted access to his Tavistock business, but his customers are rallying round.
Doug Bennett is facing losses due to restricted access to his Tavistock business, but his customers are rallying round. (Tindle)

Christine Edmonds, 85, said: “It’s a dreadful situation Mr Bennett is in. I bought. a ride-on from him. long time ago and he services it and provides spare parts. When I needed a new battery from Mr Bennett I had a problem because I could not get to him. So he delivered it. But he can’t do that for everyone.”

Former soldier David Austin, 85, also a loyal customer of Doug, said: “I have a variety of garden machinery gadgets which I have either bought from Doug or I get serviced and repaired. But it makes it difficult at my age to take stuff to him or collect them because of the hill being steep and the difficulty of parking outside. The best way is to park (somewhat illegally) at the bottom of the hill and walk up, but by the time I struggle up the hill, I’m whacked.

“There will be other places to take my chainsaw, leaf blower, motor mower, and long-handled hedge cutter. But Doug is a very upbeat and cheerful person who i most importantly very reliable and excellent at his job. I will stick by him and wait it out and hope things improve.”