POSTAL deliveries along a country road at Wickwar will continue as normal despite the road being closed to repair an ancient bridge.

Horse Bridge in Chase Lane, which runs between Wickwar and Inglestone Common, will be shut for 12 weeks while work is carried out. It is hoped it will be completed by the beginning of April.

The bridge is on the boundary between South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire and the cost repairs is being shared between the two county authorities.

Cllr John Cordwell, Gloucestershire County Council representative for Wotton-under-Edge, told Kingswood Parish Council on Monday that Royal Mail had said it would not deliver letters to residents during the work and people would individually have to call at Kingswood post office to see if there was any post for them.

But a spokesman for Royal Mail denied the claim, saying: "This would have affected seven residents. One of them was talking to the postman and said she wouldn't mind picking up her post. We wrote to residents to get their views and a majority said they wanted post deliveries as normal. Royal Mail has not suspended deliveries."

Cllr Cordwell later told the Gazette: "The information I had came from a resident, who said he had a letter from Royal Mail to say that they wouldn't be delivering.

"My understanding was that they wouldn't be delivering because of the large diversion and they were not prepared to so and were asking residents to collect from Kingswood.

"It is good news if they are going to deliver."

Residents are also understood to have raised concerns about access for emergency services.

Cllr Cordwell added: "I have spoken to the project engineer and he now hopes that for part of the time of the official closure the route from Wickwar will be available to emergency vehicles. He was also to look at ways of alleviating other problems caused to residents."