A BUSINESSMAN says he has been forced to shut down after 30 years in Tavistock because of the prolonged closure of the road outside his garage after a rock fall.

Rocky Hill, a narrow twisting steep road in Tavistock town centre, has been closed to all except residents and traders (and then only from one end) since heavy rain in March dislodged large stones from a high garden retaining wall which then fell into the road. Devon County Council (DCC) highways has restricted access for safety reasons since March.

A planning application has finally been lodged with West Devon Borough Council to repair the wall. However, this has come far too late for Doug Bennett of Tavistock Garden Machinery (sales and repairs) after he decided the disruption to couriers and customers was losing him too much business. He closed permanently in the week after Christmas, although he is continuing to sell stock on ebay.

He said: “The situation has long been intolerable as far as the business is concerned. We decide back in November that if things did not dramatically improve, we’d have to close down by the end of the year. Unfortunately, the trading situation has got even worse on top of the road problem.

“I feel very sorry for my customers, especially my many older customers who need direct access to the garage. The people who are most horrified are my long-term customers. It’s not been an easy decision after 30 years in Tavistock. On the other hand the extreme difficulty of reliable delivery of spare parts by couriers who are confused by the road closure and also our inability to hire out our chipper machines meant it was not viable to stay trading.”

Many of Doug’s customers have mobility problems, so delivering and collecting their garden mowers, both push and ride-on machines, for repair or service has been too difficult with limited access (from the top end only, on Glanville Road).

Doug has been losing income because he cannot get spare parts delivered, as many delivery drivers are directed by navigation apps to the lower closed access (on West Street) and return without delivering.

Doug said: “I have many really loyal customers who have not wanted to go anywhere else, because we’ve given them such good service. But without spare parts I couldn’t mend or service their machines. I’m so grateful to them for their support. I couldn’t also hire out my chipper machines, which are heavy and need direct access. I do collect and deliver for a few, but it’s not enough. The wall desperately needs repairing, but I have no faith in when it will be done. I know how long the planning process takes.”

He initially had a battle with DCC highways to allow deliveries to him and other home-based businesses when the rockfall led to the road being totally closed to all traffic. Eventually, last summer limited traffic access was allowed, but has not been enough of a lifeline.