Business in Newtown bypass scheme fears
A new bypass would cut through a caravan park having a "dramatic impact" on the business, a planning inquiry heard.
The proposed £56 million Newtown bypass will travel through Glandulas Holiday Park on the outskirts of the town.
Although the route has been welcomed by many, Mr David Gale-Hasleham, speaking on behalf of the business, said the proposed route has already driven customers away.
Speaking at the planning inquiry into the proposed bypass at the Elephant and Castle Hotel in the town yesterday, Mr Gale-Hasleham said: "How will the park be able to trade?
"Customer numbers will be lower than before the bypass. These are problems my client faces.
"They have lost customers already, people who have heard about the plans.
"The building of the road will have a dramatic impact on the business. The caravan owners may leave the site and to say we will be able to trade on is debatable at best." Mr Gale-Hasleham added: "The park is off a long secluded access road and this is partly why it is so popular."
The ongoing public inquiry into the planned 3.6-mile (5.8km) bypass will end next week, with final submissions and a site visit by planning inspector Mr William Wadrup.
The Welsh Assembly says the new road will ease bottlenecks which have affected the town since the 1970s.
At the opening of the inquiry, Graham Walters, an advocate on behalf of the Welsh government said the new bypass would ease congestion and improve health and safety for people in the town centre.
He said: "The A483 link from Shropshire is the main route for journeys in and out of the region. Improvements are vital to this connection.
"Powys County Council supports the plans. Newtown is a pinch point on the main route. The junction of the A483 and the A489 in the town is a regular cause of traffic congestion."
It could be open to motorists by late 2017.
