A Wiltshire road is set to shut next week as a month of disruption for essential tree felling begins.

The A360 will close between Gore Cross, near West Lavington, and Tilshead on February 27.

It will remain closed between 9am and 6pm until March 1.

This is to allow the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), along with industry partner Landmarc and contractor Richard Hall, to carry out the felling of thousands of ash trees which are infected with ash dieback.

This uncurable disease, which affects thousands of trees across the DIO’s Salisbury Plain training area, causes trees to weaken, collapse and eventually die.

The DIO say that leaving the infected trees to weaken would pose a significant health and safety risk to road users, pedestrians using woodland areas and military personnel in the area for training.

Wiltshire Times: The DIO will be carrying out tree felling.The DIO will be carrying out tree felling. (Image: Defence Infrastructure Organisation)

A month long programme of road closures will follow work on the A360. This will affect several roads around Chitterne, Shrewton and Tilshead.

The road closures have been agreed with Wiltshire Council and will be in effect between 9am and 6pm on weekdays only.

Work will be temporarily halted when necessary to provide access to local residents, buses and emergency vehicles to prevent delays.

The full schedule of road closures for tree felling is as follows.

Week one

· February 27 – March 1: Full road closures along the A360 between Gore Cross and Tilshead.

· March 2: Full road closure for one day from the entrance to Candown Road on the A360 in Tilshead to the West Gate entrance to Westdown Camp.

Week two

· March 6 – 7: Two day full road closures on Chitterne Road between Tilshead and Chitterne.

· March 8-10: Three day full road closures on the B390 between Shrewton and Chitterne.

Weeks three and four

· March 13 – 24: Full week day road closures from the corner of the B3083 and the Common in Shrewton, back into Shrewton narrow lane.

Lt Col Andy Hough, DIO’s Commander for the south west training estate, said: “While it is unfortunate that these trees must be felled, it is sadly necessary for the protection of everyone using the A360, whether military or civilian.

“We apologise for the disruption this will cause and ask for the patience of road users so that we can carry out this important work.”