A MAIN road leading into the Cotswold village of Broadway is set to close for 13 weeks over the summer months.

Station Road, one of the main routes into the popular tourist location from Evesham, will shut on Monday, June 16, as the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway replaces the train bridge over the road.

But the move has angered some parish councillors who say they were not consulted about the closure.

Cllr Barrie Parmenter said he was disappointed. "We had no consultation with anybody," he said.

"Highways went ahead and we weren't told at all. No one was consulted at all.

"They could lift the bridge off but they are saying it will cost them too much."

The GWR say they believed this was the role of the Worcestershire County Council highways department.

Alan Bielby, volunteer chairman of the GWR, said: "The bridge hasn't been used for about 50 years. We are slowing opening the line from Toddington back to Broadway.

"It's inevitable the bridge work has to go ahead and we have nearly raised the £500,000 to do this. This is part of a five bridge program of work.

"I have sympathy for the parish council and we looked at all sorts of alternatives. It is pretty much double the cost to do the work without the closure.

"We don't want to upset anyone but the job has to be done."

Mr Bielby added his main concern was for Michael Halling, who owns the garage on Station Road, and he encouraged people to support the business.

Yet Mr Halling remained positive, saying: "It perhaps will have an affect on our business but we are looking forward to working through it and we have a positive attitude to it happening because it may have a long term benefit. We are relying on people still coming and using the business and the petrol forecourt."

During the closure the traffic will now be diverted through Childswickham and Cllr Parmenter says this is also a safety concern.

"If we have caravans and lorries down there they will end up on the wrong side of the road," he added.

Despite the concerns Worcestershire County Council said it had followed the normal process including issuing formal notices in local papers, notices onsite and online.

A spokesman said: "The county council has scheduled this road closure to minimise disruption and fit around other works and events taking between now and the end of the year.

"This includes work on the highway such as resurfacing, drainage works and events such as the Tour Britain passing through Broadway and two festivals as well as avoiding the busy run up to the Christmas period and Boxing Day Hunt.

"We are also working closely with the contractor to encourage the shortest possible closure time."