PLANS for a week of nighttime closures for resurfacing of the main A39 road through the centre of Porlock in April have caused confusion in the village.

The new unitary Somerset Council has said it wants to shut the road to traffic for four weekday nights in a row from 6.30 pm until 11.30 pm.

However, the project might have to be postponed because Wessex Water intends to carry out a sewer relining programme in Porlock in the autumn.

The council wants to avoid the newly resurfaced road being dug up again so soon and would delay its project if that was likely to happen.

Porlock Parish Council chairman Cllr Duncan McCanlis said he was aware of the proposals and was asking the county authority for clearer information about them.

Cllr McCanlis said: “We are aware of it and monitoring it and will advise residents as soon as we can.

“We have our annual parish meeting on April 12 where there will be lots of people attending and I need to give them an update.

“I have asked highways for a much clearer update on exactly what is going to happen because I believe at some point there is not even access for emergency vehicles.”

County assistant highway service manager Kali Martin said he was still waiting for sewer survey data from the water company following a recent meeting to discuss its programme.

Mr Martin said: “Their works will not require any open cut trenches along the newly resurfaced road, but we have raised concerns about a particular section of pipe.

“Wessex Water have no CCTV knowledge of this pipe’s condition and its suitability for relining, so we have asked them to survey the pipe.

“If they report the pipe is not suitable for relining and an open cut trench has to be dug and a new sewer pipe laid, then our April resurfacing will be postponed until the sewer is fixed.

“Hopefully, this investigation will be carried out in the next couple of weeks.”

If the council’s resurfacing project goes ahead, the work will be carried out by Milestone Infrastructure and take place overnight from Monday, April 24, to Friday, April 28.

The carriageway along the A39 High Street would be resurfaced from the junction of Parson Street towards the war memorial at Dunster Steep. No diversion route has been signed for when the works take place.