GLASGOW businesses are pleading for the council to hold big events out of hours as City Centre road closures are “ruining” their trade.

The call is being led by Kelly Conway, from Glasgow Markets, who runs vintage and flea markets across the city. She penned an open letter to the council with her growing concerns for the high street.

The letter highlights how out-of-town shopping centres offering free parking and the convenience of internet shopping are already causing unfair competition for businesses like hers.

Kelly wrote: “Frequent road closures from Glasgow City Council can be added to the long list of battles businesses are having to fight.”

The 30-year-old recently started new venture Super Market at The Arches which sees 65 small traders come together twice a month.

The first event on June 3 attracted around 1,300 visitors. But with Kelly having just found out 30 main routes in the City Centre will be shut off for the Men’s 10K this Sunday, she fears the traders could be impacted by a lack of customers who are put off attending.

She continued in her letter: “Although these events are a great way for a section of the Glasgow community to come together, they have a devastating effect on visitors to venues, shops and smaller events during this time.”

Speaking to the Evening Times, the former events marketing guru from London - who now lives within the Barras Market - said: “It’s very frustrating. The streets around The Arches will be shut off this weekend, meaning people will be put off coming in. It also affects our loading times.

“There’s been a lack of communication and dialogue. It feels as though it’s all on the owners to scramble about and get things sorted. It’s like hitting a brick wall.

“We’re really trying to give small businesses a chance, but it’s being made difficult with the bus lanes being closed and no parking allowed.

“Our products are locally-sourced and our traders work really hard to put back into the local area, but we feel the council isn’t listening.

“My dream would be for Glasgow Markets to make enough money to open a permanent store. We should be working together to take barriers down, not put them up.

“We hope to co-exist alongside the council and these events - not work against each other. The council has a responsibility to help and offer alternatives.”

Pleading with the council with one parting message, Kelly said: “Speak to us. Hear our voices and let’s talk to each other.”

A store manager in the St. Enoch Centre told of the desperate measures he had to resort to on event days in order to keep the business going.

Nathaniel Richards, manager at Damaged Society, said: “We’ll get memos sometimes saying up to 45 streets across the centre will be closed. Retail is already taking a hit. If we have a slow week, we rely on the weekend - particularly Sundays - to help pick things up. It’s a moneymaker.

“I’m salaried, so I’m okay. But I’ve had to cut hours and send staff home in the past just so we can stay afloat.”

Offering up a possible solution, the 36-year-old from Partick said: “Moving these events to before or after business hours would solve a lot. Having these events in City Centre brings exposure to the Style Mile, but little to no money.

“Working with businesses and doing a shopping event for charity where a small percentage of sales goes towards a charity would do good all around.

“I’d urge the council to find a way to support us.”

A council spokesman highlighted how event organisers approach the council to request road closures to allow their event to go ahead and that, over the course of a routine year, there are around six events that lead to significant road closures.

He added: “Events that use the City Centre, such as the Race for Life and the Great Scottish Run, are a much-loved part of Glasgow’s cultural landscape.

“These events draw thousands of additional people into the City Centre and the feedback we receive from the business community in the area is that these are greatly welcomed occasions.

“There is a limited number of City Centre events that regularly lead to significant road closures over the course of a year.

“Requests for road closures to facilitate new events are always carefully considered and we look closely at the broad nature of the event before reaching a decision.

“The City Centre is a tremendous asset for Glasgow that supports a broad range of activity and we always seek to minimise disruption where ever possible.”