Ringwood A31 roadworks put back until after Christmas

Roadworks in a market town have been tweaked in a bid to avoid disruption to Christmas trade following an outcry from businesses.

The A31 westbound entry slip road at Ringwood was due to shut from 15 November as part of work to widen the road on the Hampshire-Dorset border.

National Highways said it had made the changes due to the "impact the closure may have on the town".

The slip road will now close from 4 January.

Retailers in the town previously said they were worried about a loss of trade from the closure through the festive shopping season as customers were likely to avoid the area.

The slip road allows vehicles to join the westbound A31 from the Ringwood roundabout.

Julie Astley-Weston, who owns Love to B skincare shop in the Furlong Shopping Centre, said: "When the changes came through last week I thought it was a joke.

"We take probably 60% of our annual takings in November and December and that enables us to keep a small team of 12 employed.

"Thank you [National Highways] for being really spontaneous and realising the importance of this to a market town and a small family-run business like ours. We are just so excited."

The year-long programme of roadworks at Ringwood will create a third lane on the 0.6-mile (1km) stretch.

The £25m scheme will also see two new bridges built over the River Avon and Bickerley Mill Stream.

A contraflow system will be in place by 26 January until November 2022.

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