ROADWORKS will be put on hold for Christmas.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has confirmed it will suspend all non-essential roadworks in Winsford and Northwich over the festive season.

Starting at 11.59pm on tonight (November 17), the suspension will last for seven weeks, until 11.59pm on Sunday (January 5).

“A roadworks embargo has worked well in previous years and will help visitors and shoppers access the borough’s wonderful shopping and leisure facilities by keeping traffic running smoothly,” said Cllr Karen Shore, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport.

“At this time of year we of course see a significant increase in both the number of vehicles and pedestrians in and around our major shopping centres, in the run-up to and through the Christmas and New Year periods.

“Our Streetworks team may, of course, need to grant permits for work on the road network during these dates if emergency repairs are needed to ensure the supply of vital utility services to homes and businesses.”

There will be no roadworks in Northwich town centre throughout the embargo.

It will also cover main roads within a two-mile (3.2km) radius of the municipal building, including the A556, A533, A559, B5082 and School Lane, Hartford.

In Winsford, the embargo covers the town centre and roads within one and a half miles (2.5km) of the municipal building, these being the A54, A5018, B5074, Bradford Road and Road One.

Only urgent and emergency repairs will be granted permission to work on the road network in these areas.

Roadworks will also be paused in Chester city centre and Ellesmere Port, Frodsham and Neston town centres.

The suspension only applies to the borough’s road network, however the council’s Highways Service is working with the other network operators, including National Highways and Network Rail, to minimise the impact of any proposed works on their own networks, through promoting off-peak and night-time working