A449 closure will ‘dramatically’ impact businesses
Route will close for nearly eight months from Monday 8 September
Last updated 29th Aug 2025
A closure of the A449 will “dramatically” impact businesses and residents between Malvern and Ledbury it's being claimed today.
Plans to close the busy road from the Little Welland junction to the British Camp car park for works to take place have been met with anger and upset.
And a petition calling for highways bosses to rethink the closure and come up with a “more considerate plan” has more than 900 signatures.
Malvern councillor Malcolm Victory said: “This closure will dramatically affect the residents of the Wells but also those in Welland and Colwall where the diversions will run, and businesses along the way.
“I have had lengthy correspondence with county Highways to see if the process could be accelerated, or allow one way traffic, or open for the Christmas period, but they argue that any of these would both cost much more and also extend the period of the closure.”
Cllr Victory said he has been told the reason for such a lengthy closure is that “the repair is extremely difficult”.
“The breach is above a nearly vertical slope, and piles will have to be sunk into this to provide a basis for the massive amount of concrete which is required to shore up this carriageway and make it last for 120 years as required by law.
“The result of this is that the entire roadway will be needed to accommodate the large amount of heavy equipment required to achieve the repair.”
Andrew Collier, who started the petition on Change.org, runs Daniels Petroleum, a petrol station, garage and car dealership on the A449 Wells Road.
He said when the road was closed for a month, trade was 30 percent down.
“Over eight months it’s going to be worse than that, I would imagine,” said Mr Collier.
“Local people will support you, up to a point. But this is going to have an effect on fuel sales and there will be a knock-on effect on the shop.
“We also have the garage and car sales, which will also see a downturn.
“I haven’t got a clue what’s happening about compensation or whether there is going to be any.
“My biggest problem with it all is the lack of consultation, the lack of warning.
“We only found out about it by looking at the council website – there has been no contact from the council to us. I don’t know if they were going to send out flyers the day before the closure or something.
“It’s hard to know what to do with business decisions going forward. We could try to do some renovations but without compensation and with reduced income that’s going to be difficult.”
A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said: “We have written directly to the businesses most affected by the closure, and residents living within the closure area will also receive letters with further details.
“As these are essential works on the county’s highway, there is no legal requirement to carry out a formal wider consultation beforehand.
“Worcestershire County Council is not able to provide compensation for such works.
“We do understand that these essential works may cause inconvenience, and are sorry for any disruption this brings.”