A Dales community has appealed to tourists and visitors to keep coming despite major roadworks which will cause chaos for five weeks.

Long delayed work at Hawes on the main A684 road through Wensleydale and the town, started this week. Highways officials say the full resurfacing of the road is essential to extend its life of the road.

The work was postponed from June after businesses and residents in Hawes called on North Yorkshire Highways to delay it until after the summer tourist season.

Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council chair Jill McMullon said visitors are crucial for the town’s economy and it is important they keep coming despite the roadworks.

She added: “There is no doubt the roadworks desperately need doing, there are so many potholes, but we want people to know that Hawes is still open and businesses really want to put that out there.

"We are a tourist area and we need the trade irrespective of the roadworks and we are doing everything we can to make it easier for people, so shops, businesses, B&Bs, holidays cottages and hotels are open.”

Councillor McMullon said the car park at Richmondshire District Council offices is being kept open, as is the Dales Museum, although people have to register for the museum car park.

“All of our shops are independent and in the run up to Christmas we still need the trade," she added. "The repairs and resurfacing are well overdue, it is in a very poor state, but when it was due to start in June everybody felt after Covid we really needed a good summer.

“There is no ideal time to carry out work like this because it does affect the whole town but it is important that it is done, we just want to ask people to please still carry on coming, this continues to be a fabulous and beautiful part of the country.” 

Work is being carried out in a phased programme until November 4 with updates on North Yorkshire County Council's website, northyorks.gov.uk/roadworks-map.  

Diversions are in place. The resurfacing and upgrading are part of a North Yorkshire County Council Highways scheme. It was awarded £7.06m by the government to fund a series of safety improvements across the main trans-Pennine A684 road through the Yorkshire Dales from the A1M at Leeming Bar to the M6 motorway in the Lakes at Junction 37.