BUSINESSPEOPLE in South Woodford are outraged as 'roadworks misery' is set to continue for another two months.

The works, in the High Road, are part of a traffic light improvement scheme, and began in the first week of April after months of gas works in the same area.

A large section of the road has been torn up as kerbs, pedestrian crossings and traffic signals are altered.

And the council has confirmed the works are not expected to be finished until mid-November.

Sally Teller, owner and director of Kitchen Design and Advice, said: “When it started off, we were told it would be nine weeks from the beginning of the year.

“It's obviously a nuisance – it's affected deliveries as lorries haven't been able to get close at all.”

And Neil King, owner of Neil King Residential, added noise and disruption have been a real problem.

He said: “It's taken far too long and it's just been a mess out there.

“It's not so bad now but when they the whole of the central island was torn up, people couldn't get across the road.”

Marvely Brown, manager of bridal shop Pronuptia, added: “It's been a pain because it's directly outside. We've had lorries and toilets out there and it's just been continuous.

“I think it's affected our trade because our window is our showroom. When they started the gas works in January, there was sewage all over the pavement and they came back and redid it.”

Dominic Stinchcombe, manager of Wesley Owen Bookshop, said he could not see how the changes would benefit the area.

He said: “Traffic flow is controlled by factors at either end of the road – they need to address those, rather than pavements and kerbs.”

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Once completed, these works will provide improved pedestrian crossing facilities, cycle advanced stop lines and new links between the adjacent traffic signal controlled junctions to assist traffic flows in the area.

“We anticipate works to be complete by mid November 2009.”