BUSINESSES have fought off plans to close the A590 over two weekends next month which they claim could have cost them thousands in the run up to Christmas.

Staff at The Whitewater Hotel, Backbarrow, and The Rusland Pool Hotel, Haverthwaite, wrote to the Highways Agency after discovering repair works would close a two mile section of the A590 over two weekends in December.

Bus loads of party goers travelling from Furness would have faced a 30-mile diversion via Coniston, Ambleside and Windermere on country roads to get to the hotels.

“It’s a really busy time for us and guests threatened to cancel as they were coming on coaches that would struggle down the country lanes,” said Peter Chadwick, duty manager of the 38-bedroom Whitewater Hotel. “I got in touch with the Highways Agency and said what impact it would have on us and The Rusland Pool and I explained we would both be shut in the first two weeks of January anyway.”

Roadworks were due to take place between Greenodd and the junction for the B5278 road to Haverthwaite during the weekend of December 5 and December 12. The Highways Agency this week confirmed the work had been postponed until early 2015 after concerns were raised by local businesses.

Mr Chadwick said if the roadworks had gone ahead the hotel would have lost around £15,000 in those two weekends alone.

“We’re just glad they’ve moved - it’s great for us,” he added.

But it is not such good news for The Rusland Pool which has already lost 150 bookings for Christmas parties after staff were unable to reassure customers the road would be open.

Owner Rachel Pound said: “We had been told it might go ahead about a month before and I was appalled.

“We are supposed to be closing for refurbishment from December 21 so at the moment I’m struggling to see how we will do it.

“We might need to open to recoup the lost money and we would have to ask staff to cancel their holidays.”

Ms Pound added she had also been writing to the Highways Agency and wanted to thank The Whitewater Hotel for its support.

The Highways Agency said the new dates for the work, which will involve improving drainage and resurfacing the pavement and road, will be announced once they are confirmed.