A KEIGHLEY scrap yard has become the latest victim of road closures in Lawkholme Lane.

The owner of T Holmes claims business ground to a halt on some days due to three separate sets of roadworks happening at the same time.

Michael Galloway says he has had to turn away delivery vehicles and stockpile scrap metal at his yard because he could get it out.

He said he was already suffering a 20% drop in his usual turnover – which can top £5 million a year – due to the 12-month-long closure of the nearby Lawkholme Lane junction for improvements to Hard Ings Road.

Road resurfacing this month at the other end of Lawkholme Lane further affected vehicle access, and the final straw came on October 7 when Yorkshire Water began digging outside his yard.

Mr Galloway said: “We’ve been losing money because of the Hard Ings work. We had been managing, but with the resurfacing then the water work, it’s killing things for us.

“I have about 300 or 400 tons of metal that should have gone out. We’ve got nothing coming in. Customers are going elsewhere.

“I’ve got eight employees but they have nothing to do. We have two cranes and a bailer that are usually running several times a day, but they’ve not been used all week.”

Mr Galloway claims his company had no prior warning that Yorkshire Water would be carrying out work outside the yard, until contractors arrived on the morning the work was due to start.

He said that after negotiations the contractors agreed to keep the scrap yard entrance clear, but HGVs still faced major problems getting in and out of the yard due to parked vehicles.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: “We are laying a new water main on Eric Street as part of the Hard Ings Road improvement project under Bradford Council’s road closure.

“Residents on the street were informed about this vital work ahead of time and we have spoken to T Holmes Scrap Yard today. We have been informed that there is access to the site and we have worked with them regarding deliveries.”

The scrap yard was established as Harry Bairstow’s in 1927, later becoming Tommy Holmes. Mr Galloway bought the business 26 years ago, renaming it Ridgenorth (trading as T Holmes).