ORGANISERS of a Yorkshire Dales show are angry at a decision to close the main route to the village for roadworks on the day of the event.

Mike Pearce, landlord of the Tan Hill Inn says Tan Hill Swaledale Sheep Show is the biggest event in the community’s calendar, and is demanding to know why road resurfacing work was carried out on the day of the show.

He says takings for the event, on Thursday, May 25, were significantly down, despite the show enjoying good weather.

“Thursday was probably the finest weather day for the sheep show in living memory, yet our turnover was probably some £2,000 down on what we would have expected compared to a normal sheep show with wind and rain,” he said.

North Yorkshire County Council was carrying out the maintenance as part of a road resurfacing programme across the Richmondshire district and closed the highway between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Mr Pearce said he was only aware of the closure when some visitors arrived late at the show, complaining about the roadworks and claiming no diversion was signposted.

North Yorkshire County Council denies there were no signposted diversions and says people were in place at either end of the roadworks at “peak hour flows” to help with directions.

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesman said: “The roadworks were part of our extensive surface dressing programme across the county. They were operated on restricted hours of 9.30am to 3.30pm and a clearly signposted diversion was in place. Ambassadors were stationed at either end of the roadworks to assist motorists and to help with peak hour flows and home-to-school transport.

“Advanced notification signs had been placed on site and a letter and leaflet drop was also undertaken to the properties within the closure area.’’

North Yorkshire County Councillor for the Upper Dales, Cllr John Blackie has taken up the issue. He says road closures in the Upper Dales cause major problems to local residents, communities and businesses because the absence of alternative routes means very long diversions along narrow upland roads and across high moorland summits often in very inhospitable weather.

He has put together a report for the council’s Richmondshire Area Committee to highlight some of the problems this can cause for residents, communities and businesses.