Businesses said they had been frustrated over the situation that has plagued them for the past year.
Katie Kirkham runs The Sound of Coffee directly opposite to where the works are taking place.
The barista said she was “relieved” to see the work had started but had concerns over the speed at which the demolition was happening.
“The workers have assured us that it will be done but brick by brick it’s a lot to take down in the days they have been given,” she said.
The business itself is relatively new to the street, having only been open for the past 12 months and has been forced to deal with the situation.
“It’s looked as though we aren’t open, even now it doesn’t look like we’re open, but we are,” Kirkham said.
Joanne Knowles runs Noshers, nearby and felt the choice of timing for the works could have been better as Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest time for trade along the street.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(471x244:473x246)/CNN-New-Years-Eve-with-Anderson-Cooper-123124-9952e5f00fc1425f87113ba2bfb97b29.jpg "Anderson Cooper Says He Once ‘Hated’ New Year’s Eve While Co-Hosting CNN Broadcast")
