BUSINESSES in Kidlington have rallied behind a new petition to change the rules surrounding a rising bollard.

Assistant manager of Oxford Building Supplies Sandra O’Shea said the current set-up for the bollard, which is in operation between 10am and 4pm in the High Street, has cost the company more than £1,000 in missed deliveries.

She wants Cherwell District Council to allow deliveries during the daytime and is launching a petition, which has the support of nearby business Bartlett’s Butchers and the Sue Ryder charity shop.

Mrs O’Shea, who runs the store with her husband John, said they were also pushing for disabled vehicle users to be allowed to pass through.

The 40-year-old, who has been the assistant manager of the store for 10 years, added: “We want to keep the bollard but we want them to let deliveries through. We are losing business through it.”

In March, the Oxford Mail reported that the bollard, installed in February following two years of delays, had cost Oxford Building Supplies £400 because of missed deliveries.

According to owner Mr O’Shea, the amount is now more than £1,000.

But parish and district councillor Maurice Billington said none of the businesses now complaining had ever made an appearance during consultation over the bollard.

Mr Billington, who is Kidlington Parish Council chairman, added: “It went to consultation for two years. All the shops were contacted and we did not get any reply.

“If they had, we would have looked into it but they didn’t.”

He added: “When we receive the petition we will have a look at it to see what they are saying, and we will see how many people have signed it.”

Manager of Bartlett’s Butchers Michael Hurn, whose colleague Gary Trayner claimed the store was losing between £50 to £70 a week because of the bollard, said he will sign the petition.

The 52-year-old from Cowley added: “We can’t get our deliveries down here after 10am.

“It has made us quiet and I think that it is right it should be put down for deliveries.

“We can’t carry 80 to 90 kilos down the road.”

Assistant manager of the Sue Ryder shop Marie Timms, who started working at the store three months before the bollard was installed, said she will sign the petition in support of disabled users, who can’t carry things to cars.

The 21-year-old, who lives in Woodstock, added: “Since the bollard went up we are not receiving the donations we used to.”

A Cherwell District Council spokesman said it could not comment on the petition until it was officially submitted.