Southsea dog groomer worried her new business may "break" as people avoid Eastney Road due to gas works

Maria Devices, of Southsea, always wanted to follow her passion for dogs and set up The Pit Stop Groom Room and customers started to flock to her Eastney Road business to get their pooches pampered after it opened two and a half months ago. But Ms Devices said this soon changed after the route was closed on June 25 when gas network company SGN started carrying out works to upgrade the local network – resulting in footfall dropping off a cliff.

NOW READ: Southsea road to be closed for seven weeks

She told The News: “It seemed to be going exactly how I hoped it would, better than most. That’s now just completely stopped.

"The day the roadworks started on that section of Eastney, trade has almost ceased.”

Ms Devices relies on physical appointments for her business to function and with traffic restrictions currently in place on Eastney Street, Cromwell Road, Kassassin Street, Henderson Road and Highland Road, people have been avoiding the area entirely, she said.

“For a new business, coming from nothing, it was becoming steady and getting busier and busier", Ms Devices added, “then it went like Covid overnight.

“I’ve spoken to some of the other business owners, and it’s affecting the whole of Milton market as they call it.”

The 48-year-old is stricken with worry about how her business will recover once the maintenance work is finished and is concerned that people will not return to the Eastney Road area after the closures are lifted and the seven weeks worth of work is complete. On some days, Ms Devices has had no bookings at all.

"It may be that it comes back and it’ll be steady again, but it may not,” she said. “For a new business, not to be earning money while rent and other costs are carrying on is damaging.

"Everything has almost stopped. Last month was great, it really was becoming something, but this month has gone.” Ms Devices added that other businesses in the area, including mechanics and butchers which have been operating for decades. are also "struggling” and feeling the pinch.

She said: “If it carries on, it makes me wonder if I can even keep the unit. I’m paying out and receiving very little back. As the business is so new, this could be the thing that completely breaks it, and I can’t afford to keep it.

NOW READ: Portsmouth's first whiskey bar is set to open its doors

“It’ll spread by word of mouth and it will grow, but it’s too new to stop dead like this. There is nothing to fall back on. As it stands, the lack of people around is the major problem.”

Bradley Barlow, SGN spokesman, said the temporary closure has been put in place “for everyone’s safety” around the work area. He added that pedestrians and cyclists can still get around, diversion signs are in place for motorists, and residents can still access businesses.

“Our project was scheduled to last approximately seven weeks but we have made excellent progress and we plan to remove our road closure earlier than planned once road resurfacing work has been completed,” he said. “We’d like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while we completed this crucial project.”