Steve Sweal, who has run the Plough Inn on Sway Road in Tiptoe for the past 15 years, said the council shut the road outside his pub without warning.
It’s prevented punters from getting to the watering hole easily.
He said: “It just winds you up, they keep doing it. They’ve shut this road so many times and there’s never any communication. I drove out of my front door and the road was shut.”
Steve Sweal (Image: Steve Sweal)
Hampshire County Council has confirmed a four-day closure of Sway Road to allow carriageway patching works to take place from March 23 to March 27 between 8am and 4pm.
The closure affects the stretch between the Plough Inn and nearby Danestream Farm Shop.
There is access via Vaggs Lane, but Steve believes the diversion is enough to drive customers away from the pub.
He said: “When the road is closed, customers won’t come, they drive up, see the barriers and go somewhere else.
“Every single time they shut the road, we might as well not open. When it’s closed, we’re losing about a thousand pounds a day.”
Steve said the disruption has become increasingly common and that the lack of communication from the council makes things worse.
“I asked the guys on site what was going on, and they told me it was temporary pothole repairs and the road would be shut all week.
“We can’t plan, we can’t tell people what’s happening, and we’ve even got a big wake tomorrow afternoon and had to let them know about the closure at the last minute.”
He added that signs placed at each end of the road often leave customers believing the pub is completely inaccessible.
Sway Road roadworks (Image: Steve Sweal)
Steve said potholes have been causing damage to cars, with some vehicles pulling into the pub’s car park with buckled wheels, but said the road needs resurfacing rather than temporary repairs.
He said: “So many cars are coming in with damage. If you’re going to fix it, do it properly, don’t just throw a bit of tarmac over the hole.”
Despite the disruption, Steve stressed: “We are open, please support us local businesses really need it.”
Hampshire County Council has been contacted for comment.