Bull and Dog pub landlords say council yet to finish works

The Star spoke to landlords Mike Fishwick and Sara Cunningham in August, ahead of the works being completed in September, when they explained that they had been living in "an absolute nightmare".

The CYCLOPS - which opened in early September - aims to prioritise the safety of pedestrians and cyclists by segregating cyclists from motorists, aiming to reduce the possibility of collisions or conflict – while making pedestrian crossing times quicker.

However, due to delays the works took longer than expected, with Mike and Sara claiming they have been left with a car park "full of potholes that floods".

They say people are also still confused about how to enter their venue.

Flooding at The Bull and Dog (Image: Flooding at The Bull and Dog)

Mike said: “Part of the promise we were told when they started these works was that after it was all done they would re-tarmac the car park and fit new fence panels as they moved the entrance to the pub when they did the junction.

“It opened in September and despite many emails we’ve still heard nothing.

“I saw one of the officers in charge who I have been emailing outside with others getting pictures of the works so approached him and he said he had liaised with our brewery – but the brewery has said they’ve received nothing.

“I’m just really frustrated, we took over this business pre covid, so we struggled during that and then after that we had a few months to get back on our feet and we’ve had all this.

“The works might be done now but we get loads of calls each day from customers still asking how to navigate the junction to enter the pub; the new entrance floods every time there is heavy rain and customers have complained to us due to the car park being full of potholes – which has led to damage to some of their cars.

Pot holes at The Bull and Dog (Image: Pot holes at The Bull and Dog)

“We pay our bills and just want to do our jobs, but this CYCLOPS junction has really damaged our business this year, and the council not carrying through on their promises is making it ten times worse.”

In response, a St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said: “Due to its location on the road network and closeness to schools, Lea Green Railway Station, homes and businesses, the CYCLOPS junction was a challenging project to deliver but one we were determined to carry out with due consideration for everyone concerned through regular communication as the scheme progressed.

“We understand the inconvenience residents and local businesses may have faced during the construction phase - particularly the nearby Bull and Dog pub - and as a gesture of goodwill, we have written to their brewery with the offer to undertake some remedial works to the pub car park and boundary fence.

"These final steps will bring to a close the project that officers and contractors have worked diligently on for a number of months.

“They too have at times faced challenges, and we would always encourage anyone with issues to raise them in the appropriate manner.

“Now completed, the CYCLOPS junction is an award-winning design layout being implemented in more and more cities and towns across the country, with the safety of pedestrians and cyclists prioritised with safe crossings which were not in place before ¬– playing a key part in our decarbonisation commitments and supports our recently adopted road safety strategy to ensure our highway network is safe and accessible for all."