A HIGH-STREET shopkeeper has criticised long-running improvement works for drastically hitting trade.

Deb Knibbs, one of three owners of the independent Labyrinth shop on Stockton High Street, said trade was 65 per cent down year-on-year in the worst periods and 40 per cent down at best.

She explained she supported Stockton Borough Council’s £20m scheme to revamp the High Street, but called for more to be done to help businesses survive while work was on-going.

The retailer, who explained Labyrinth sold psychic and spiritiual goods and second-hand books, said: “We got some respite when the Valuations Office told the council they had to cut our business rates, but the council have got the blinkers on.

"We need people to start coming back to the town now. There’s no decent marketing. If the improvements come off it will be the bomb, but it’s taking so long and we need businesses to survive. There’s some new independent shops opened, but they never tell you that 12 have closed.”

Stockton council responded by highlighting comments from three town centre businesses, Vicky Pepper of Dec-a-cake, Karen Eve, manager of the Castlegate Centre and Carole Earl of Earls of Ashwood, a fine food store - all praising the work to improve roads and parking facilities.

The council's cabinet member for regeneration and transport, Mike Smith, said 50 new businesses had opened and he stressed that business rates are not set by the authority.

He said: “This change is necessary if the town centre is to prosper. We are doing all that we can to support businesses by promoting all the town has to offer through the on-going Rediscover Stockton campaign and have clearly signposted routes around the works as well as distributing a map to local businesses so they can point out pedestrian routes to their customers.”

Joanna Wake, of Stockton Town Team, an independent organisation set-up with £92,000 of Government money allocated by shopping guru Mary Portas, said the team had plans to appoint a committed, employed town centre manager could offer a lasting legacy and a scheme to have a permanent Business Improvement District organisation was being developed.

However, Ms Knibbs said she had offered to work as Town Team’s manager for free but was turned down, despite her experience working for major retailers.

Work on the town centre improvements began in September 2012, but is not due to be completed until next year.