Earlier this month States-owned social housing provider Andium Homes submitted plans to build 165 one and two bedroom apartments on the former Ann Court site between the Jersey Arts Centre and Ann Street.
Under the proposals, Providence Street, which leads into Belmont Road, would be closed to traffic and a new one-way system would be introduced.
Tracey Pinel, Mark De Sousa and Jonathan Reed, who all run businesses in the vicinity, have said they are worried that their businesses could lose thousands of pounds as they claim customers will not be able to access their shops.
Mr Reed, who runs Premier Carpets and Furnishings with his parents on Providence Street, said: ‘The effect these changes would have on our business would be catastrophic.’
He added that when several sections of Providence Road were closed for essential drainage works, the shop lost out on thousands of pounds worth of business.
‘When the road was closed in 2012, the business turnover dropped by tens of thousands of pounds,’ Mr Reed said.
He added: ‘The road closure is going to make our shop almost impossible to get to and I don’t think people will go that extra mile to come in.
‘The majority of the sales we get are from people who park outside and come in to have a quick look. We are right on the edge of town and I am worried people won’t walk to us.’
Mr De Sousa, who owns Belmont Fish Bar, believes he will lose 75 per cent of his trade if the road is closed.
An Andium Homes spokeswoman said: ‘We invited all neighbouring businesses and residents to consultation events about the plans in October 2015 and again in April 2017. Plans to close the road will no doubt go through a lengthy planning process.
‘It will be for the St Helier Parish Roads Committee and Infrastructure Department to ultimately decide whether or not to close the road or recommend any other changes to the road layout.’
