LEDBURY town centre is set to be “sealed off” every evening for five days as vital work to resurface roads is carried out.

Diversions will encircle Ledbury every evening until midnight from Sunday to Friday because of the closure of the key town centre junction at Top Cross.

The work is to resurface the junction and the High Street – both known pothole blackspots – with a tough surface “to last 25 years”, according to Herefordshire Council.

But before then, new cabling for the Top Cross traffic lights will be installed, and the late rush hour and the home run will become far more complicated for a short while.

The plan is for the closure to be in place from 6pm until midnight each day from Sunday, September 21, to Friday, September 26.

Letters to notify businesses and residents went out earlier this month.on Sunday, September 10 Despite the county council declaring the town will “remain open” on those evenings, the mood among some town centre businesses is reported to be “distraught” with pubs and hotels likely to be most affected.

Access to Ledbury’s pubs and eateries will be by foot only, with road closures effectively sealing off the town each evening from the Hereford Road to the north to the Gloucester Road to the south – while most diversions will send traffic around the town’s bypass.

Steve Jay, traffic engineer for Herefordshire Council contractor Balfour Beatty, said: “Top Cross is not an easy junction to close.”

He added that the resurfacing material should be tough enough to last 25 years.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 should be tough enough to last 25 years.

A Herefordshire Council statement says: “Ledbury will remain open for business.”

But the statement adds: “Residents and visitors to Ledbury will be able to access the various public houses and hotels by designated footpaths only.”

Ledbury businessman, Louis Calleja, of John Nash Antiques and Interiors in the High Street said of the Top Cross closure: “I think it is horrific; but it’s got to be done, and that’s the worst thing about it.

“The road is so bad.”

Annette Crowe, a member of the Ledbury Traders’ Association agreed that the job needs doing.

She said: “There are exposed wires at Top Cross. The work needs to be done and done properly.”

Mrs Crowe, while acknowledging that hotels and pubs could be affected, said “the times chosen are the best available”, because they will come towards the end of rush hour.

She added: “Local people who know their way around will still be able to get into town.”

Inga Wilhelm, assistant manager at the Talbot Hotel in New Street was putting a brave face on the situation.

She said: “I don’t think this will impact on us too much, - so long as there is footpath access.”

She added: “The residents who stay with us don’t usually park outside.”

Several other Ledbury pubs, who were contacted, declined to comment in public.

Meanwhile, the John Masefield High School has forwarded information and maps to parents and carers, because the Top Cross closure could impact on parents picking up their children following after school clubs.

In a statement, Balfour Beatty said: “We will do our best to ensure we don’t cause unnecessary delays to the traffic and public, although we appreciate the works will cause some disturbance.”

Ledbury residents are also likely to be inconvenienced by the scale of the work and the heavy machinery.

A Herefordshire Council statement reads: “Residents will be able to access their properties although “No Parking” restrictions will apply during the works. There will be large machinery working in the area and there may be times when this machinery temporarily blocks frontages.

“During the works, there will be Pedestrian Wardens on site who will be able to help with any queries. You will be able to identify the wardens easily by their blue arm bands.”

The statement continued: “Every effort will be made to ensure that noise levels are kept to an absolute minimum during the works programme. However, due to the nature of the heavy machinery being used sometimes the contractors may not be able to keep noise levels to an absolute minimum later in the evening.”

Inconvenience is also likely to be caused by the diversions, with motorists travelling from Malvern or Worcester being diverted through Welland and Staunton to the Gloucester Road.

Motorists approaching from the Gloucester Road will be diverted left to the Ledbury bypass.

Motorists approaching from the north, from the Bromyard direction, will be diverted right, down the Hereford Road, - to the Ledbury bypass or straight on to Hereford.

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