Work to refurbish the canoe launch at Kerne Bridge has been postponed following a concerted emergency campaign by businesses along the Wye Valley which rely on the launch.

Alterations which will create new modern facilities at the Herefordshire Council owned sites and provide enhanced access for people with disabilities for the first time on the River Wye, were expected to take three to four weeks to complete.

But those who use the launch for their businesses were horrified at the news which came at the start of the school summer holidays and the busiest time of their year.

They were given notice on Wednesday that the work would start on August 1st. James Edmonds of Wyedean Canoes and Adventure Centre, based at Symonds Yat East, was using the canoe launch at Kerne Bridge on Tuesday, August 2nd. He was briefing a family set for a morning rowing on the river, before they launched their canoes. He explained to the Ross Gazette that if the work had gone ahead in August thousands of visitors would have been turned away.

Work has been postponed at Kerne Bridge until temporary steps can be installed then the work will go ahead as planned. Work at the Ross launch will start on August 15th as there is an alternative launch at the Rowing Club which can be used.

Mr Edmonds added it is the perfect time to do the work because the river is so low but another canoe operator said:?"The plans show a total lack of commercial awareness." It is believed that some operators would have lost up to 800 launches if the work had gone ahead as planned.

Councillor John Jarvis said he was delighted that after talking to the Environment Agency a solution which didn't interfere with the canoe businesses had been found.