THE Old Market at Beccles will be closed during the working day for three days from Sunday as a key part of the refurbishment work of the bus station area takes place.

THE Old Market at Beccles will be closed during the working day for three days from Sunday as a key part of the refurbishment work of the bus station area takes place.

Access will be closed on Sunday from 9.30am-5pm, and on Monday and Tuesday from 7.30am-5pm. A Suffolk County Council spokesman said it was necessary to close it to all vehicles to undertake new surfacing works, which have been brought forward by four weeks in order to shorten the construction period.

During the closure, access to the town centre by vehicles will be via Ballygate. Advanced signing will be provided on all approaches to advise drivers to follow the diversion to get to the town centre. A temporary one-way system will be introduced in Ballygate between Homefield Paddock and Newmarket towards the town centre. Vehicles will exit the town centre via Market Street.

In order to minimise disruption along the diversion route on Ballygate, it will be necessary to ban parked vehicles on the southeast side of Ballygate during the closure.

Cars and light vehicles will be allowed into Smallgate during the closure with the one-way system temporarily suspended between Old Market and Rooks Lane. The prohibition of motorised vehicles and one-way restriction currently in operation in Rook's Lane will also be suspended to enable vehicles to travel from Smallgate to The Walk to exit the town centre area.

If any business in Smallgate requires deliveries by larger vehicles, they are asked to try to ensure that they take place before or after the closure. If that is not possible, they should contact Keith Sampson on 0845 606 6067 as soon as possible.