Elmsett Village Stores in Suffolk to close on Saturday

Elmsett Village Stores is set to shut on Saturday, March 30 after being run by Sasha Lawrence and her partner, Julian Edwards, since April 2021. 

A statement posted in the store window said a number of issues had led to the decision, including the closure of The Street in Aldham in November after the road collapsed.

Sasha and Julian have run the store since 2021 (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"It is heartbreaking," said Mrs Lawrence.

"There is no end in sight. What gets me is that during Covid we were the essential service. We did not get any government support. We got no help."

Speaking to this newspaper in January, Mrs Lawrence revealed the shop's revenue had seen a dramatic drop following the sudden closure of The Street in Aldham. 

The Street in Aldham collapsed in November (Image: Jenni Green)

The road collapsed in November and is yet to reopen, with work scheduled to be completed by the summer according to Suffolk Highways. 

Mrs Lawrence said the road closure had "killed their business", as they were unable to attract customers passing through. 

She added: "All of our customers from Hadleigh, we have not seen any of them. We have lost lots of our customers.

"With everything that has been thrown at us, that road, it was just the last we needed. 

"Our customers have been totally amazing."

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Highways revealed The Street should be back open by the end of July.

The spokeswoman said: "Investigations have now concluded, and solutions for a full repair are being finalised.

"Whilst we haven’t yet confirmed a start date for the repair works, we are working towards an on-site start in June with an expected six-week construction programme.

"It is hoped that these works can be completed, and the road reopened by the end of July 2024.

"We thank the community for their patience and apologise for the ongoing inconvenience this is causing residents of Aldham and Elmsett."