CREWKERNE'S Fiver Fest starts today (March 12) and runs for two weeks until March 26.

Fiver Fest is designed to level the playing field for independent traders, who all work together to offer products at £5 right across the town.

Local traders and businesses in Crewkerne are joining forces to showcase the value of shopping “totally locally”.

However, business owners are concerned about the impact the A30 road closure is having on trade.

The A30 was meant to be partially reopened by the start of Fiver Fest, but the roadworks have been plagued with delays and will not reopen at all until March 25. Weekend working has now been authorised to make up for the lost time.

Cllr Paul Maxwell said: “My colleagues and I are talking a lot with the County Council Highways Department at the moment.

“The damage to the local economy cannot be overstated. We pushed hard for an earlier reopening of the A30, including partial reopening in the evening and at weekends. However, it’s simply too dangerous to reopen to traffic.

“The bit of the A30 that is closed sits in the Parrett Ward, where the district councillor is Oliver Patrick. He told us his inbox has been ‘white hot’ over the last few weeks as people demand to know what’s going on.

“‘It hasn’t been an easy time’”, he said, “‘whether you’re a resident affected by enormous volumes of traffic using villages as unofficial diversions, or a business along the A30 that has seen a dramatic decline in passing trade, this road closure is causing real harm to the environment and the local economy’.”

Chard & Ilminster News:
The two councillors promoting Fiver Fest

Cllr Mike Best said he shared the concerns about the closure putting people off travelling to Crewkerne, and that’s why we want to make it clear to everyone that ‘Crewkerne is open for business’.

In order to access Crewkerne from Yeovil, motorists should use the official diversion (A3088/A303/A356). “It’s really important that people know Crewkerne is open for business as usual”, says Cllr Paul Maxwell, “so come on down, bring all your friends, and pick up some bargains at the Crewkerne Fiver Fest.”