Traders fear road closures will harm business

Kate Wood, owner of the Queen's Head at Bramfield, fears the overnight road closures will harm her business during a crucial trading time

Traders in the hospitality sector fear an overnight road closure will have a "devastating impact" on business during a crucial summer period.

They are urging Suffolk Highways officials to put back planned roadworks between Darsham and Blythburgh on the A12 until September.

Drivers will also be faced with a nearly 70-mile (113km) diversion route for five consecutive nights beginning 29 July from 20:00 to 05:00 BST.

A Suffolk Highways spokesperson said: "Surface dressing is carried out between April and September because the process requires warm, dry weather to allow the dressing to become established."

Suffolk Highways says surface dressing work cannot be undertaken in "wet or damp conditions."

Kate Wood, owner of the Queen's Head at Bramfield, said: "The key crux for us and for our good friends at High Lodge, The Fox at Darsham and Thorington Theatre, is that we all rely on this time of year to carry us through the winter.

"We appreciate the work needs to be done but we are begging the county council to consider moving these roadworks into September or, at the very least, start the work at 10pm."

Mrs Wood fears the closure will have a similar effect to an earlier one in April.

"We would normally expect 60 to 80 diners each evening but that was reduced to zero, and I mean zero," she said.

Suffolk Highways said the official diversion would be just under 70 miles long "to allow for HGVs which cannot fit down the smaller roads others would use".

It added: "Drivers will be diverted along the A1120, A140, A143, A145 and the A12 and local access will be managed during this time with one lane remaining open.

"This will be managed by staff on site as the road must be safe before allowing access."

Planned work includes surface dressing, lining and road stud installations. 

Mrs Wood said there were also fears the diversions could have an impact on contractors trying to clear the Latitude Festival site at Henham Park, but Suffolk Highways said it had "engaged with the festival regarding the road closure and no concerns were raised".

Mrs Wood says during a similar road closure earlier this year, she was sometimes left with no diners at all