The Tour de France will undoubtedly be a boon for Yorkshire as a whole and parts of Wharfedale, including Otley, in particular.

Shops in the town and no doubt many an entrepreneur with a bit of land for hire along the race’s route are already anticipating a very welcome financial boost come this summer.

And away from commerce too, in the loftier realms of how residents feel about their region and its stature, the arrival of the world’s most famous cycling race on Saturday, July 5, should give most spirits a lift. With the world’s spotlight due to fall on Otley during the Grand Depart’s first day, it is of course necessary and desirable that the place – and especially its streets, which the riders will be hurtling along – is in top condition.

So the programme of roadworks announced earlier this year by Leeds City Council shouldn’t have shocked anyone. What has proven a very unwelcome surprise, however, once the work actually started, is how disruptive it has been to the town’s businesses and residents. The complete closure of Westgate, in particular, over two weeks led to highly predictable problems for both traders on the street and the many motorists simply trying to get across town.

The council says, justifiably, that some disruption was always going to be inevitable – but that doesn’t explain why the whole road had to be closed when, often, no work seemed to be taking place.

And it certainly doesn’t answer the many criticisms that have been raised by exasperated business owners, who have experienced trouble accessing their own shops and getting vital deliveries through, on top of seeing trade fall alarmingly away. Their belief that the council should have consulted better with them beforehand, by holding a public meeting, seems like mere common sense. And their claim that the work could have been done less disruptively, perhaps by keeping the road open as a one-way, lights-controlled route, also seems eminently sensible.

With the major Tour de France-linked roadworks due to end in Otley this week it is too late for those lessons to help here, but we can only hope they are taken on board before the next scheme begins in another busy market town.