BUSINESSES in Fordingbridge could miss out on valuable customers while the High Street is closed for footpath repairs the week after Easter.

Angry councillor and shopkeeper Brian Perkins said: "It will deprive the whole town of income because once you've got a road closure people will stay away. People don't like inconvenience."

Councillors are also concerned about the perceived lack of consultation, only finding out about the pavement replacement work when the temporary two-week road closure order landed on council clerk Helen Tague's office doormat.

She, like Cllr Perkins, had doubts about the safety of the diversion route, particularly for heavy goods vehicles heading for the industrial estates and other destinations west of the town.

The advertised diversion for all vehicles will be south via the A338 to the A31 at Ringwood and north west along the B3078 to Cranborne.

The diversion then turns east back along the B3078 to Sandleheath.

"That road is more dangerous than having single lane traffic through the High Street," said Cllr Perkins.

Mrs Tague was also concerned that car drivers with local knowledge will cut through the Normandy Way housing estate to avoid the lengthy detour.

The county council has said that pedestrians will still be able to use the High Street and access shops while work is carried out.

However, there is to be no vehicular access to premises in the affected areas on both sides of the road, between Dixon and Templeton solicitors and Audio Vision.

The road is to be closed between 9.30am and 4pm to allow rush-hour traffic to flow freely.

A county spokesman said industrial estate businesses had been warned, as had management at Sandy Balls holiday park at Godshill.

"The start date for this scheme has been quite fluid, and we didn't want to tell the town council a date, only for it to change," she said.

Cllr Perkins was also concerned that the week before Easter the B3078 Southampton Road near Godshill is to be temporarily closed during off-peak hours for kerbing work.

The diversion is via Ringwood, Cadnam and Brook.