Birmingham live music and Irish community venue Nortons Digbeth published an open letter calling for the rapid completion of long running Metro construction works, which it said had significantly disrupted businesses over the past 10 months.
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Midlands Metro Alliance civil and utility works in Digbeth have impacted several nighttime economy and hospitality venues, including Nortons, with the venue citing reduced footfall, fly tipping, break ins, supplier issues and reduced access.
Owner Peter Connolly said the works had contributed to a “devastating loss of trade for Nortons and neighbouring businesses”.
The venue said a “wall of Heras fencing” outside its Meriden Street home had reduced visibility from Deritend and Digbeth High Street to “almost zero”, which had “completely decimated” passing trade.
Nortons has called for the rapid completion of the works, greater transparency around completion dates and future disruption, and more investment in the environment around the works.
‘Business killer’
The issue comes amid wider concern over the impact of infrastructure disruption on hospitality businesses.
Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars owner Tim Bird said road closures had become a “business killer” for parts of the group’s estate, particularly across Cheshire.
Bird said the business had experienced around 23 weeks of road closures seriously impacting its pubs over the past year, including a seven-week closure of the main road between Wilmslow and Mobberley, which affected three of the group’s pubs.
“Highways have no regard for local businesses,” he said. “They don’t set up detours, their workers don’t know how to give directions, and they start the ‘road closed ahead’ signs sometimes five or more miles before the actual road closure.
“It is a business killer because prospective customers are generally too busy during the week to find an alternative route to us and impromptu business is eliminated as people simply go somewhere else or stay in because of the road closure.”
Bird said another main route from Wilmslow to Mobberley was closed for two weeks in May 2026, contributing to an average 7% year on year decline. The Cholmondeley Arms and Three Greyhounds Inn have also been affected by main road closures over the past six months.
Communication issues
He added that communication ranged from “nothing at all” to a letter through the door, leaving pubs reliant on social media and mailouts to explain how customers can reach them.
“Suppliers too are impacted so deliveries end up being late,” he said. “A few suppliers, despite there being an alternative route, use the closure as an excuse not to arrive at the pub, particularly trades people.”
The issue has also been flagged by Adnams, which said in its full year accounts that some of its tied businesses and its Woodbridge store had suffered from road infrastructure changes linked to the development of Sizewell C.
The brewer said it had maintained open engagement with the Sizewell team throughout 2025, allowing it to highlight trading challenges and explore future commercial opportunities.
The issue has also affected the SugarBeat Eating House in Swainsthorpe, Norwich, which told The MA last year it had lost 15% of trade after EDF Renewables works began on the A140, its main access road.
Operators said better communication, clearer timelines, improved signage, realistic delivery access and greater support were needed when roadworks or major infrastructure projects affect hospitality businesses.
