Many business owners are furious they were not consulted on plans to open part of Peel St to vehicles during the 10-day event prior to the matter going before council’s traffic committee last week. Some claim the move, which if ratified would see vehicles able to enter and exit the main street between Brisbane and Bourke streets, could wipe out up to 40 per cent of their trade over the 10-day event.

But festival director John Sommerlad said NSW Police had forced council to act in order to alleviate concerns over pedestrian safety as people commute between the main street and Bicentennial Park.

“We’ve been told by the NSW Police service that because we have so much activity now in Bicentennial Park ... (that we) either need to open Kable Ave or close it,” he said.

“The logical course of action is to close it because you’re making a much better arrangement for pedestrians who are flowing down into Bicentennial Park in greater numbers because of all the activity down there.

“Traffic management is one of the big issues associated with each festival. It is not easy, nor is it straightforward. These changes improve traffic flow, reduce road closures and detours. Tamworth will get its main thoroughfare – Brisbane St – back.”

Hog’s Breath Cafe owner Liam Benson, who each year organises a stage out the front of his restaurant to draw festivalgoers to that end of Peel St, said shopkeepers should have been consulted.

He said that if the council had approached business owners earlier in the year with the proposal, then it would have given them time to work together on plans to mitigate the feared loss of foot traffic.

“Three months out, it’s a big shock to try to reshuffle and I’m looking at probably a 30 to 40 per cent loss in revenue because of it,” he said.

Country Capital Newsagents proprietor Glenn Andrews said because he was still digesting the revelation, it was too early to estimate what impact it would have on the business he runs with his wife, Jenny.

However, he said that uncertainty in itself posed problems when it came to ordering stock, such as country music-themed souvenirs, in preparation for the festival.

“It’s really hard to know, but it would have been nice (for council) to sit down and thrash it out with us,” he said.

Yum-to-Go owner Kathleen Barden was also disappointed shopkeepers were not informed of the proposal, however, she said it could entice regular customers usually deterred by the crowds and lack of parking back to the stores.

“I think that it could actually work but – and it’s a big but – they need to make sure that its only short and restricted parking and it’s policed well,” she said.

Tamworth Business Chamber president Tim Coates said he would be seeking feedback from chamber members located in the block.

“At first cursory glance I can see that they’re trying to open up traffic flows around the city, but we’ll have a conversation to see how we all feel about it.”