The boss of a bed business has blamed transport problems and new EU border rules for the closure of his store after just two years of trading.
Steve Pickering opened Sussex Beds on St James Retail Park in Dover after identifying the “great potential of the site”.
But he believes long queues around the city’s port have contributed to its demise – and fears the upcoming introduction of new EU border regulations will only make matters worse.
Until the Entry Exit System (EES) comes into effect on October 6, delays of up to 15 hours are feared on routes to the port.
Highways bosses say they are determined to “keep Kent moving unhindered”, but Mr Pickering says disruption in the area has already taken its toll on his shop, which will close for good on Saturday.
“Initially, the business did well,” the CEO said.
“However, our trading was severely disrupted just weeks after opening due to significant traffic congestion in the city over Easter.
“Unfortunately, this congestion has been repeated during every holiday period for the past 18 months.
“With no signs of improvement and the expectation of further disruption from October due to additional port controls, we have made the difficult decision to close our shop in Dover.”
The EES was set up to register the entry and exit data of non-EU nationals – which now includes Britons after the Brexit vote – when they cross the continental bloc’s external border.
As a result, manual passport stamps at Kent ports are to be replaced by biometric facial imaging and fingerprinting, which must be carried out in the presence of an officer.
It is feared that the time it takes for tourists to enter the EU for the first time could be significantly longer under the new rules, causing further queues in and around Dover.
Mr Pickering says he decided to open the store in the town because of its “fit with our key demographic”, but says he doesn’t want to face further traffic disruption.
“We have really enjoyed serving the wonderful people of Dover over the past two years,” he said.
“We are delighted that our dedicated Dover team will be relocated to our Ashford and Canterbury stores, ensuring they remain part of our corporate family.”
Responding to Mr Pickering’s concerns, highways chiefs say they are doing “everything they can to support local communities during disruptive times”.
At peak times, they regularly implement the Dover TAP (Traffic Assessment Project) – a temporary traffic management system which sees port-bound lorries queue up in the left lane of the A20 beyond the Roundhill Tunnel in an attempt to prevent Dover from being congested.
A spokesman for the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) – a partnership of organizations including Kent County Council – said: “For most of the year the road network in and around Dover operates relatively unhindered by international traffic.
“However, we fully understand the huge impact on businesses and residents when there are major delays and how it can affect people’s lives.
“KMRF is doing all it can to support local communities during disruptive times, protect communities and prevent congestion in the area.
“However, it is clear that while mitigation is being planned and implemented to avoid this build-up, the situation on the roads through Dover remains extremely fragile and further disruption is likely to occur in the summer. and for.
“Unexpected events such as traffic collisions, industrial action or severe weather can also affect plans to maintain traffic in the county.
“Until the Government finds and funds alternative solutions to how this traffic flow can be managed, the Brock and Dover TAP operations are the only tools available to try to stop the increase in traffic on the roads in and around Dover.
“It is in everyone’s interest that a solution is found to keep UK trade flowing through this critical route while ensuring Kent can move unhindered.”
Residents have also raised traffic concerns over plans for a new McDonald’s drive-thru opposite St James Retail Park.
Fast food chain bosses want to build an all-you-can-eat restaurant on the site of the former Dover Leisure Centre, but there are fears the development will cause further delays for drivers.