Non-essential roadworks will be suspended in Chester over the festive period.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has announced a temporary roadworks embargo covering the borough's main town centres during the busy Christmas period.

In a bid to keep traffic moving across the borough, the suspension will run from 11.59pm on Sunday 15 November until 11.59pm on Sunday 10 January 2027.

It will apply to Chester city centre, Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Neston, Northwich and Winsford town centres, as well as major retail destinations.

Only essential emergency works and urgent repairs will be permitted in the affected areas during the embargo.

Councillor Nathan Pardoe said: "This annual roadworks suspension has worked well in previous years, helping to reduce disruption and make it easier for residents and visitors to access our fantastic shopping, hospitality and leisure attractions.

"While we will continue to allow emergency repairs where necessary to protect vital services for homes and businesses, the embargo will help minimise avoidable disruption at a particularly busy time of year."

People travelling into Chester over Christmas are being encouraged to use the city's Park & Ride service.

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Fares are £2.50 per person, with discounted tickets available for families, groups and young people. Up to five people travelling together can buy a day ticket for £5.

Services operate daily, with buses running every 10 to 12 minutes from Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes on Sundays and bank holidays.

Extended late-night services for Christmas shoppers will also start on Thursday 19 November and operate every Thursday until Christmas.

The embargo applies only to roads managed by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

However, its highways service is working with utility companies and other network operators, including National Highways and Network Rail, to minimise disruption across the wider transport network.

In Chester, the embargo will cover all roads within the City Walls, as well as the A540, A5116, A41, A5480, A548, A56, A5115, A5104 and A483 within a 2.5-mile (4km) radius of Chester Cross.

Requests for work on other roads within a one-mile (1.6km) radius of Chester Cross will be considered individually, depending on the nature of the work and its likely impact on traffic.