MOTORISTS and residents look set to face fresh misery next month when another section of the coast road between Weymouth and Bridport is closed.

Dorset County Council has announced plans to close the B3157 between Burton Bradstock and Swyre - during the October half-term.

The news has angered business owners in the area, who say they were not consulted and the timing of the closure could prove costly.

Last summer tourism leaders in the region protested over council plans to close large stretches of the B3157.

They say the latest proposals show lessons haven't been learnt from last year's experience.

Abbotsbury Swannery manager John Houston said: "After all our discussions last year nothing's changed, here we are again discussing the same issue.

"We had meetings with the council and they promised to discuss further work with us and avoid holiday periods.

"But those promises have been forgotten - another closure is being imposed without warning at a peak time of year.

"Don't they understand Dorset depends on tourism for a major part of income?"

Chesil Bank Parish Council chairman John Coombe said: "Local traders are very concerned.

"We were told the council had learnt from last summer and would consult us in future.

"But they've set their timetable without any consultation.

"People faced with road closures will go somewhere else, and businesses here will lose out."

County councillor Ronald Coatsworth said there was no need for concern.

He said: "Being half-term there may be more traffic around, but there is an alternative route for people. But if residents didn't know then that's an issue. A road closure is a major thing and they should have been told."

In a letter to Abbotsbury Parish Council, Dorset County Council technical officer John Alford said the closure is required to carry out reconstruction and resurfacing.

He said the work would start on Monday, October 16, and take three weeks.

Dorset County Council highways manager Richard Bastow added: "The county council is looking to repair a section of the B3157 just west of Swyre in October.

"We hope to work around the half-term holiday, but exact dates are subject to further consultation. We appreciate that road closures can have a big impact on the business community and daily life in general, and we do not implement them lightly. Unfortunately the scale of the operation makes it impossible to safely keep the road open. Details of the road closure will be released shortly."

Angry business owners hit out this week about the state of the coast road between Weymouth and Bridport. The B3157 was recently resurfaced again with chippings and some say it is uneven and unsafe.

Burton Bradstock Cars is among those counting the cost after suffering hundreds of pounds of damaged when sales vehicles were hit by loose chippings.

Sales executive Peter Battershell said: "We understand there was a job to be done, and the council had to do it, but it took them nearly two weeks to clear the road and several vehicles were damaged.

"We didn't contact the council because it was quicker to sort it out ourselves than let it drag on."

It is also believed a motorcyclist had to have hospital treatment after hitting a pothole in the road last week. He was treated for wrist injuries.