UNHAPPY Dudley shopkeepers say new loading restrictions are having a detrimental effect on their businesses.

Businesses in Wolverhampton Street have been suffering since Dudley Council placed a ban on loading and unloading between 9am and 5pm, in response to complaints about pedestrian safety.

Mohammed Sagir owner of Direct Link Communications claims traders were not told about the restrictions but the council said the order was introduced last year after a consultation, which received no objections.

Mr Sagir said: "Many of us don't have loading bays at the back so we don't know what we are supposed to do. I've been here for 15 years and I've never known of any issues with pedestrians, I can't recall one person complaining to us."

He said there was also confusion as to whether the order could currently be enforced as the yellow kerb markings, which were painted by the council in February, were already faded.

David Dils, who opened up David's Cave in December last year, said he is losing custom as people were unable to park up outside his shop to collect heavy purchases during his opening hours.

He said: "I had no warning of this before I took on the property. It's going to shut me down."

Avinah Kumar, owner of Gala Coffee Lounge, is also feeling the strain as he has to park 400 yards away and carry heavy boxes containing produce to the cafe due to the restrictions.

Zahid Saeed, who has been running Elite Sports for almost 12 months, added: "I don't feel that the council give us any incentive to run businesses in this town. I came here from Walsall and invested a lot of money in this shop but they seem determined to scare people away.

"I got a ticket last week for unloading stock, it cost me £35. The majority of businesses on this street do not have rear entrances, otherwise we wouldn't mind."

He added: "The problem is heavy goods vehicles coming down the street - they should divert them to King Street.

"They've spent so much money on King Street and the market and Stone Square but it has been spent on the wrong things."

However John Millar, acting strategic director for economy, environment and housing, said public safety was "an absolute priority" and the restrictions were enforced due to HGVs and other large vehicles mounting the footpath when entering the road from High Street.

He said the council would consider any representations made in the form of a petition in relation to the order and the yellow kerb markings, which were faded due to vandalism, would be re-painted in the near future.

Mr Miller said the council was not ignoring Wolverhampton Street as it forms the core of the council’s successful Phase 2 Townscape Heritage project, which has secured £1.1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The council is also in negotiations with a number of landlords, developers, registered providers and funders about potential housing developments on vacant, unsightly or underused properties along the street.

Mr Miller also invited the traders to join the new Business Forum set up to allow businesses to work in partnership with the council to support town centre vitality.