Coleford roadworks 'last straw' for struggling businesses

A month of roadworks will be the "last straw" for firms that have struggled through lockdown, a council has said.

Gloucestershire Highways is to close part of the B4228 in Coleford from Tuesday for a month for resurfacing.

Coleford Town Council said the timing of the works - soon after lockdown - was "not acceptable" and called for it to be rescheduled.

The County Council said the work on the B4228 would be done in two phases "to minimise inconvenience".

The town's mayor, Councillor Nick Penny said the closure of "one of the main routes through Coleford for 22 days" would cause many residents' access to be blocked and leave the town centre difficult to access.

"Everyone has suffered during this terrible time but especially the small business and tourist attractions in the parish," he said.

"Whilst the council appreciates that this resurfacing work does need to be done, the timing is just not acceptable.

"We are calling on Gloucestershire County Council Highways to reschedule the work so that this is not the last straw for many of the local business that have struggled through the last four months."

The county council said the works would be carried out in two phases between 4 August and 3 September, and the road would not be closed at "peak travel times".

Councillor Vernon Smith said: "Proper resurfacing is the only way we will win the battle against potholes.

"The B4228 is starting to deteriorate, and we need to take action to fix it while making sure residents and business don't experience too much disruption."