RESILIENT shop owners are urging city leaders to bring a free bus service back to their street ahead of a key meeting being held later this week.
The traders of Brook Street have long been campaigning to have the free shuttle service, which operates between the city centre and Chester Railway Station, rerouted down their street.
A meeting this Friday involving the Rail Gateway Partnership, which will be attended by representatives from Mersey Rail, Central Trains, Virgin Trains, Arriva Trains Wales and First North Western, will discuss that proposal among other issues.
But the business owners say they deserve "no less than the free bus" given the decline in trade in recent years as a result of various council-led initiatives, including repair work which closed the Hoole Bridge a couple of years ago.
The service itself, which was used by more than half a million people last year, used to operate along Brook Street but was rerouted to City Road by the former local authority.
The traders also say the deal would be a "compromise" to ongoing works on a controversial footway widening scheme, which they fear is going to harm their trade.
United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Parliamentary candidate for Chester, Allan Weddell, has been campaigning on behalf of the traders to bring the free shuttle service back to Brook Street.
He said: "The situation is going from bad to worse. The repair work on the street was supposed to start last summer, but because of criticism from traders it was postponed indefinitely. There were a couple of hasty meetings. The work was due to start last month but nothing happened. I was organising a petition calling for the waiving of business rates during the development period, offering parking concessions at the St Anne Street car park during the same period and bringing back the free bus service to be re-routed down Brook Street. Virtually every business I called on backed that petition."
He added: "This has been going on for months and months. Three quarters of a million people used that bus service last year.
"The council is spending lots of money to develop the street, but at the same time this bus service would offer a great incentive for this street."
Stewart Tattersall, owner of Dee Sport, added: "Bringing back this service would most definitely be a compromise. It would certainly help us out. These people will finally get to see our shops.
"Everybody here is all for it. The council did say they would considerate it.
“However, this meeting on Friday is not a meeting we can go to. We have our fingers crossed."
Spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council, Shirley Wingfield, said: "This Friday there is a meeting of the Rail Gateway Partnership which will involve everybody who has been involved in the renewal of Chester Railway Station. The bus idea will be raised."