KENDAL'S motorists and businesses face fresh disruption to traffic and trade in the run-up to Christmas as Transco begin ripping up the roads in the town centre next month.

The news comes only weeks after United Utilities completed similar works on the water supply that caused widespread anger among businesses and road users in the town Transco is spending £170,000 on replacing gas pipelines in and around Kendal town centre and the plans have again provoked fury among retailers who fear that trade will be affected at a crucial time of the year for them.

Nigel Byrom, owner of The Family House Furniture shop on Wildman Street, said: "Here we go again. South Lakeland District Council and Capita tell us traders nothing. It's up yours once again," he said.

This was echoed by Richard MacAuley owner of Inglewood Cards, Highgate, who estimated that his custom had dropped by 30 per cent during the United Utilities work: "Who decides the timing?" he asked. "We never know who it is that gives the permission for these things to happen."

Mel Dixon, a taxi driver for Castle Taxis in Kendal, said that the work would once again dramatically affect the service that taxi firms could provide.

"Last time a lot of drivers struggled to make pick-ups at Marks and Spencer and it took one driver 25 minutes to get from the Town Hall to Marks and another hour to get out of Library Road," he said Paul Williams, head of operations at Transco in the North West, said he understood the frustration but explained: "The gas, water and electricity supplies we rely on don't arrive in our homes by magic - there is a vast network of pipes, mains and cables in place to deliver them to us and these have to be maintained."

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Collins said he was "flabbergasted" by the proposals which he called "completely crackers."

"We have had major disruption to Kendal for all sorts of reasons and at some point we will have the work to complete the pedestrianisation of the town centre to deal with. People are entitled to be fed up," he said Kendal Town Centre manager Steve Finch expressed amazement at the plans and said that he had had no word from Transco.

"When United Utilities did the work on the water pipes we had talks with them and retailers very early on which gave us an opportunity to try to minimise potential problems as soon as possible."

Manager of the Elephant Yard Shopping Centre Peter Boyd confirmed he had spoken to a representative from Transco, but that meeting only took place on Wednesday of this week, less than three weeks before the work begins.

"What concerns me is the continuous drip, drip, drip of work in the town. Why can't these organisations work together?" he asked.

He also said that he understood that some work was necessary to enable the new Booths supermarket to open at the end of November, but had asked Transco to postpone the other works until January.

When quizzed about the possibility of United Utilities and Transco doing major work atthe same time Transco spokesperson Jeanette Jackson said such a plan would be "logistically impossible."

"To have two utility companies working side-by-side in such a small place as Kendal would result in total road closure. Doing it this way the period of disruption is prolonged but at least traffic can use the roads."

Cumbria County Council declined to comment.

The work will be carried out from October 11 and will run until November 26. It involves: replacement of 175 metres of gas mains in Beezon Road and Sandes Avenue; replacement of 100 metres of gas main running along Blackhall Road, between Stramongate and New Road; a 23-metre extension of the gas main at the junction of Highgate and Allhallows Lane.