Business owners in Ipswich are furious scaffolding has been put up around a historic building in the town centre at what is among the busiest periods for trade.

Colin and Jackie Williams, who have run Jacey’s Coffee House in St Stephen’s Lane for 24 years, feel work taking place at Ancient House, opposite their eatery, is actively hampering business – a sentiment shared by another business owner in the street.

Christmas sees a high amount of footfall in the town centre, and the couple feel they were not consulted by Ipswich Borough Council before the scaffolding was put up at the start of November.

Colin said: “We feel this is affecting our business. We’ve noticed fewer people coming in at peak times and despite getting people sitting outside even during the winter, we’ve had to remove many tables and chairs outside as there just isn’t enough room.

“We were not properly consulted about the scaffolding, we were simply given a time-frame of when it would start and that it was essential work. We had no say in the matter. We feel the council simply doesn’t care about us.

“We see why the work needs to be done, but don’t understand why this couldn’t have waited until after the new year, when trade slows down and it would have less effect, or even be done earlier in the year.

“And it’s not just our business, Ancient House has hosted a pop-up market which has also suffered because of the planned works.

“Any painter will tell you that you don’t paint outside at this time of year, and we’ve not even noticed the work start.”

While the scaffolding had been a nuisance for their coffee house, Colin said the firm charged with putting up the scaffolding were lovely and put it up on a Monday, when Jacey’s was closed.

Colin felt covering one of the town’s most historic and iconic buildings just before Christmas was a ‘bit thoughtless’.

In a social media post, the organisers behind Ancient House’s pop-up market described the amount of scaffolding as ‘ridiculous’, but used it as a means to put up more Christmas lighting.

Colin said they were asked to take these down shortly after.

Colin added: “We’ve been set up in Ipswich a long time, and we wouldn’t normally make a fuss, but this is silly and there’s no need for it.

“Footfall in the town has been down all year, and all businesses are struggling, we are no different. It’s not been a good year.

“As a business, we were hoping to make the most of December. Revenue gained in the last two months of the year typically tide us over the first two months of the new year when trade slows down.

“St Stephen’s Lane is a major walk down through the town, and leads to the Buttermarket Shopping Centre – and there’s barely enough space for people to move, let alone bring buggies or sit outside.

“Having a load of scaffolding to look at, when everywhere else gets lights and decoration is so unfair to us all, and the whole of Ipswich. It’s not the way to encourage shoppers to come to Ipswich.”

Colin and Jackie’s sentiments were echoed by Alan Rayner, who runs the mensware store Twist n’ Shout next door.

He felt it was the worst time of year to perform work such as this.

Alan added: “You can’t paint at this time of year, and this is the last thing we needed during such a busy period.

“It’s affect trade, of course it has. People don’t like walking under scaffolding.”

Ipswich Borough Council has been approached for comment.

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