Angry shop owners say they have been losing vital trade since a layby usually used by customers was turned into an extended bus stop.

The pull-in in Faversham Road, Kennington, was previously shared by buses and customers wanting to use Savers Newsagents, Marino’s Fish Bar, Hall Hair and Ashford Dry Cleaners, but now thick yellow lines stop customers from parking up.

Bella Patel, who has run the newsagents for 38 years, says since the markings were introduced overnight two weeks ago she has had fewer customers walking through the door.

“I have got a lot of old customers who have lived here their whole lives and they said to me, when these shops were built, the layby was there for shops,” she said.

“It never used to be a bus stop but the shelter must have been put in after the build.

“It now says no parking from 7am to 7pm but that’s when all the shops are open so it means all day we can’t have customers.

“We never had a problem until now; we are missing out on passing trade.

“It’s totally unfair, it has to be lifted otherwise we are going to struggle.

“Our customers have said if you want a petition we’re all for it.”

There is a designated car park at the rear of the shops but Mrs Patel says this is often full from residents who live in nearby flats and offers no disability access.

The impact of the changes is also being felt at Marino’s Fish Bar next to Savers.

Owner Orthy Karios says the changes have taken a heavy toll on his lunchtime trade with fewer customers able to pop in for a quick visit.

He said: “They came and put a post with restrictions up on December 9, then after that we were wondering about what would happen because weeks were going by.

“Then all of a sudden two weeks ago they put the markings there but we didn’t receive any letters and now we are in a position where we are all losing money.

“It’s also a problem for deliveries because the side road is not wide enough for a lorry to park up so there’s no other safe way.”

Matthew Hall, owner of Hall Hair, says while his customers are usually happy to park further away, the lack of parking has also affected his deliveries and customers dropping off relatives for appointments.

He said: “The layby is huge, you can now fit about three buses in it.

“Why it needs to be that long, when we only get about two buses an hour, I don’t know.

“We had someone being picked up last week who was in a wheelchair.

“She has come to the shop for years but has accessibility issues.

“The person picking her up got a ticket.

“Parking is at a premium everywhere now and to run a business you rely on people being able to get to you.”

Joy Johnson has been a regular at the hairdressers for more than 10 years and was shocked to see the place she usually parks off limits.

The Hill View resident said: “After everything that has been going on with Covid, I think it’s ridiculous.

“I come here every four weeks and I always park there.

“There are people who are disabled and they won’t be able to come here at all now.

“There’s no wheelchair access to the car park; at least they could come up the ramp before.”

Yakup Yalcin, owner of Ashford Dry Cleaners, said: “People don’t stop any more and it makes us upset because they used to pop in quickly and now we are losing them.

“I would like to see them put it back to normal because there has never been an accident.

“Worst-case scenario, you could move the bus stop further up the road into the other layby.

“We have tried to tell customers to park in the car park but not many people know it’s there.”

'There was no letter, no consultation or anything...'

In a letter sent to Ashford MP Damian Green by Kent County Council, the authority confirmed that bus operator Stagecoach had requested the changes to the layby.

And in a statement sent to the Kentish Express, KCC said: “The request to formally mark and sign a clearway in Faversham Road was received from the local bus operator.

“It follows consistent problems with accessing the bus stop due to parked cars regularly forcing buses to stop in the live traffic lane.

“As well as the obvious safety risks, this could cause issues for people with visual or mobility impairments.

“There was no requirement to consult or notify of these changes before they were introduced.”

Bybrook ward representative Cllr Howard Turner (Ashford Independents), who lives in Faversham Road, is supporting the shop owners in their plea for answers.

He says he would also like to see the changes reversed immediately to bring vital trade back to the area.

“There was no letter, no consultation or anything,” he added.

“It was like a commando operation at night.

“There’s a layby up the road the bus could use or they could move it elsewhere in the road.”