The owner of The Hog in Horsley has warned that a planned closure of the B4058 Horsley Hill could force the permanent closure of his business and leave the local community cut off.
Gloucestershire County Council and Wales & West Utilities are due to close a 545-metre stretch of the B4058 between Downend and Narrowcut Lane from September 1 until October 30 while gas mains are replaced.
Luke Honeychurch, who has spent the past six years working to keep the village pub open, said he only became aware of the closure after spotting a legal notice in a local newspaper.
He claims the works will cut off more than 80 per cent of his customer base, adding that although an alternative route remains open, the lengthy diversion will deter customers and make the business financially unviable.
Luke said: “If this goes ahead as planned, The Hog will close. I have fought for six years to save this pub for our community, drawing as little as £4 an hour to keep the doors open.
“To find out about this in a newspaper notice with just two weeks’ warning – while being told emergency services can’t even get through – is unbelievable.”
Among the concerns raised by the pub owner are the lack of direct consultation with affected businesses, the impact on emergency access, disruption to the nearby Pyke Quarry Household Recycling Centre and what he believes is a failure to explore alternative traffic management measures.
The legal notice for the closure states that “emergency access will not be maintained due to the works involving trenches in the carriageway.”
Luke argues that no meaningful mitigation has been offered, such as temporary two-way traffic signals, overnight working or trench plating that would allow vehicles to pass while work is not taking place.
He has also warned the closure could have wider consequences for the area, with the B4058 serving as the main access route to the Pyke Quarry Household Recycling Centre. He fears restricting access could lead to an increase in fly-tipping across surrounding rural lanes.
Formal objections have now been submitted to Gloucestershire Highways, Wales & West Utilities, Simon Opher, local councillors and the emergency services under the Gas (Street Works) (Compensation of Small Businesses) Regulations 1996.
Stroud Times approached Gloucestershire County Council for comment. The council advised us to direct our enquiry to Wales & West Utilities, which is carrying out the gas main replacement works.
Wales & West Utilities Programme Controller for Stroud, Matt Rees said: “We will soon be working in the Horsley Hill area of Stroud to reinforce the gas network. This work is essential to keep the gas flowing safely to homes and businesses in the area, and to prevent a potential loss of gas supply, should there be a high demand on the gas network during the cold winter period.
“We are working closely with Gloucestershire County Council to plan this work. To keep our workers and the public safe while we do this work, it’s been agreed that Horsley Hill Road will be closed from its junction with Downend to its junction with Narrowcut Lane from 01 September until 30 October (2026). A diversion route is in place, and the local authority has notified the emergency services, who are aware.
“This is a complex job, and due to other utilities such as broadband and water running beneath the road, to safely reinforce the gas network without risking damaging other utilities, we must work in various parts of the road. This means it is not possible to use alternative traffic management, and to do this safely and quickly, we must close the road.
“We are still in consultation with the Council’s highways team as we explore all possible ways to minimise the disruption these essential works might cause. We will keep people updated online and through local media.
