Businesses and residents are concerned about sections of Church Street and High Street closing for six weeks for work on gas mains.

Wales and West Utilities are replacing 140 metres of plastic pipes in High Street from next Monday and 200 metres at Church Street a week later as part of a £30,000 project.

Church Street from the junction at Mill Street will be affected, with traffic diverted through New Road and The Green. Businesses are worried about the impact it will have on trade and their ability to receive deliveries.

Mark Barrett, president of Calne Chamber of Commerce, said: “Any disruption at this time is devastating. Calne has done extremely well to survive through the recession.

“But everyone is living on the edge, people are struggling. We accept the work has to be done but it doesn’t make things any easier.”

Stuart Dyer, owner of Calne Appliances, in Church Street, said: “This is not good news at all. Whenever they dig up parts of the road near your business it is going to cause a lot of problems.

“I can’t believe it is going to take six weeks. That just sounds ridiculous to me.

“My shop doors open close to the street so I may be quite badly affected, it isn’t going to be an easy six weeks.”

Calne Town Council reported that residents had called in with concerns about rubbish collections and access to their homes.

Ian Waite, project officer at Wales & West Utilities, said: “We have been working closely with the council and I have contacted residents and businesses in the immediate vicinity to notify them of the impending work. Businesses will be open as usual and deliveries will be accommodated.”