traders on Tavistock's Plymouth Road Industrial Estate say they will 'be out with placards' in protest if road 'improvements' are not speeded up by Devon County Council.

They claim the works on Plymouth Road are putting people off visiting their businesses and losing them trade.

The traders also say the council has been slow to get on with the works and that temporary traffic lights on the busy A386 Tavistock-Plymouth road artery are causing chaos and traffic hold-ups.

The scheme is part of the Drakes Trail cycle route from Tavistock to Plymouth, which is almost complete, aimed at increasing accessibility for cyclists between the southern part of Tavistock and the town centre.

Martin Hawkins, the owner of the Tavistock Picture Gallery, said: 'While these works are going on our trade is dead as the traffic is just turning into a gridlock and people are not bothering to come into the industrial estate.

'Meanwhile, there are just a couple of Devon County Council men working on the road.'

Mr Hawkins said it reminded him of a couple of years ago when works on the Drake statue roundabout in Plymouth Road caused a similar problem of major traffic hold-ups.

'These works are creating havoc, just like at Drake's roundabout — Devon County Council said that would cost £46,000 but it cost £250,000 in trade to the town if you bear in mind that people avoided Tavistock because of the traffic chaos.'

Mr Hawkins said traders on the industrial estate would be prepared to go out on to the road with placards if the problem was not sorted out soon.

Fellow trader Sam Bulley, who is the co-owner of the Bed Centre, said: 'I think it is having an impact on trade and I've noticed a drop in customers coming here since these hold-ups when the temporary traffic lights are operating.

'I think the council should just get on with it and not prolong the situation any longer.'

A council spokesman told the Times that the work involved upgrading an existing zebra crossing on Plymouth Road to a signalised crossing for cyclists and pedestrians. 

The footway would also be widened, and there would be resurfacing and replacement of tactile paving on existing footways.  Signal poles would be installed, new road markings and high-friction surfacing.

'Work on the £48,000 scheme started on March 15 and is programmed for completion on April 9,' said the spokesman.

'We are only able to work on the road during certain hours.  The A386 Plymouth Road is subject to restricted working hours, which means that temporary traffic signals are only permitted between 9.30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.'

He apologised for the inconvenience to motorists and traders saying that work had started a week late because the contractor had delays on a different project and was unable to provide resources to this project until the 15th. 

He added that the contractor had committed to complete the work by the original programmed completion date. 'We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused,' said the spokesman.

County councillor for Tavistock Debo Sellis said the work followed on from many years of work on the cycle trail and was part of Devon County Council's aim to make Devon the cycling county of the UK.

'We hope it will actually make things better in the long run with increased commerce and tourism and improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists,' she said.