TRADERS in and around Ombersley are up in arms over a decision to close a busy bridge over the River Severn for repair work.

Worcestershire County Council has announced that the Holt Fleet Bridge, near Ombersley, is set to close for three weeks in March while the deck is re-waterproofed.

The road will be closed from the A449 island in Ombersley right through to Holt Fleet, meaning some drivers will be forced to take long detours to reach the village. Pedestrians will be able to walk across the bridge. But the decision has been described as "catastrophic" by one trader, who fears the closure will have a serious impact on trade.

Richard Everton, who manages The Crown and Sandys, Hadley Bowling Green and Everton's delicatessen, said: "It will certainly affect the three businesses in two ways. It will stop customers both during the day and night visiting both Hadley and Ombersley and secondly, many staff will have to leave home an hour and a half earlier in the morning to get to work in time.

"I feel it's a catastrophic decision and I can't believe there wasn't more consultation with local businesses."

Toby Fletcher, proprietor of the Venture Inn on Ombersley's Main Road, is also shocked and was surprised he had not been notified.

While Kally Sekhon, proprietor of the Spar in Holt Fleet, is disgusted she will not receive any compensation.

"We are out here in the sticks and rely on passing trade for business. No-one is going to walk across the bridge in the cold of March. It wouldn't have been so bad in the summer, because there are more visitors then.

"Many of the staff also come from Holt Heath, Little Witley and Sinton Green and the likelihood is that I will have to give them two to three weeks unpaid holiday," she added.

"Delivery drivers have also said they will only make deliveries every few days, which is also going to affect the freshness of our products."

But Worcestershire County Council says that the work is needed and that it will tie in with urgent reconstruction of the roads both in Ombersley and Holt Heath to minimise disruption.

Councillor Alwyn Davies, the local member for Holt Heath and cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: "The bridge is not wide enough to carry out repairs on a partial closure basis. Of all the other options explored that didn't involve full closure, one would have taken four months and the other would have taken two months. We accept there will be disruption to the people in the villages but by doing this now for three weeks, we shouldn't have to carry out any other repairs for a long time.We understand people may see their businesses disrupted but as we are the highways authority, and therefore legally obliged to carry out these repairs, this is not a situation that calls on us to compensate anyone for loss of earnings."

Details of the exact closure dates are yet to be released.