BOURNEMOUTH council’s leader says he is using “all the influence I can muster” to meet the pleas of businesses over the A338 roadworks.

Councillor John Beesley has written to the Echo restating his powerlessness over the work, saying “obviously, I cannot instruct the county council to make changes”.

Nine months of roadworks at Blackwater junction are planned, part of a £45.2 million joint Bournemouth and Dorset councils and Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership programme, but with the actual work carried out by a county council contractor.

“Many people have commented and been highly critical of me even though they must know by now that I have no authority to make any changes myself,” he said. “Far from having my ‘head in the sand’, as accused by a county councillor of all people, I have been using all the influence I can muster to try to do as Bournemouth businesses have asked and help Dorset County Council to make the changes needed to ease congestion at peak times, especially in the morning rush hour.”

This week business leaders in Bournemouth Business Improvement District called for a longer break in the work before Christmas, as well as more night working and better organisation, to reduce the impact on the festive shopping period.

Cllr Beesley said he was discussing increased night working with County, but the authority had indicated a longer suspension was unlikely as “they have limited time in which to complete these works”.

He added: “I repeat, let’s all work together to make sure we do everything possible to tell those coming into Bournemouth that at most times of the day and especially at weekends, they have little to be concerned about and will not be unnecessarily delayed.”

The Echo has tried to contact Dorset councillor and cabinet member for highways Daryl Turner, who represents Marshwood Vale, to discuss the concerns of Bournemouth businesses, but has not received a response.

The next stage of the work will see night-time closures. A single northbound lane will be closed between the Cooper Dean roundabout and Blackwater from Monday to Friday next week, between 8pm and 6am.

Then, from Tuesday, October 23, to Thursday, October 25, the whole road will be closed overnight between Cooper Dean and Ashley Heath.

Bournemouth council says this will allow work to join the two bridges which carry the road over the River Stour, just south of the junction.

A crane will be used to lift pre-cast concrete blocks into position.

Larry Austin, Bournemouth council’s service director for environment, said: “The arrival of the pre-cast concrete units is a key milestone in the construction programme and means we are on schedule to have all lanes open as planned by December 10, ready for the Christmas festivities. The contractor’s staff are currently on site up to 20 hours a day during the week.”

He added: “We fully appreciate the frustration and inevitable disruption these works are causing but we are doing everything we can to ensure the works are delivered as efficiently as possible.

“Further night and weekend working is planned in the coming months.”