Lyndhurst must plan now to "kick start" trade in the spring, says the new chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce.

The capital of the New Forest has been in the grip of extensive road-works since October. They are due to be completed by April.

Disgruntled traders warned last autumn that they might not all survive the commercial downturn as shoppers and tourists quit the cone-infested village.

But they accepted that the new pedestrian-friendly High Street promised for Easter 2001 was likely to herald an improvement in visitor numbers.

Clive Archer, the new chairman of Lyndhurst's Chamber of Commerce and owner of the High Street teddy-bear shop Paws in the Forest, is warning other local businesspeople that they cannot just sit back and enjoy the widened pavements next Spring.

He brought a nine-point action plan to a meeting of Lyndhurst parish council, to get members on-board for a concerted effort to raise the village's profile.

"We need to kick-start Lynd-hurst. The community has suffered a lot in 2000, and in the two years I have been here I have seen a definite downturn," said Mr Archer.

"Lyndhurst is still seen as the capital of the New Forest, but it has lost some of the appeal it once had.

"The upturn won't happen overnight, but a good start to this season at Easter will benefit the whole village, not just traders," he said.

The Archer Action Plan includes:

* Regular fun days in Lyndhurst throughout the season - from Easter to September.

* A free monthly information leaflet focusing on the fun days.

* Extending the floral hanging basket scheme by including Christmas decoration supports to carry summertime bunting.

* A regular farmer's market, possibly in Lyndhurst Community Centre.

* Setting-up a local working group to advise on traffic management issues.

8 Persuading Southampton commuters not to use Lyndhurst's main car park, leaving more space for local shoppers.

* Launching an open-top bus service to carry tourists round the Lyndhurst area.

* Starting a low-cost or free bus service into Southampton or Bournemouth for Lyndhurst residents only.

* Setting-up large information boards on major approaches to the village, promoting local attractions and activities.

Councillors applauded Mr Archer's energy but warned him that he could face many difficulties.

Councillor Mrs Pat Wyeth said: "Planning permission may be a problem for large information boards, and we tried some of these ideas before and found they were not viable. We had an old heritage bus once, but it didn't make enough money." Mr Archer said five local organisations had already indicated support, and a meeting to discuss the viability of the plan has been set for 5pm, on January 15 in the community centre.