Last updated at 16:38, Thursday, 07 March 2013

DELAYS have plagued a controversial project to re-lay Ulverston’s famous cobbles and work has been held up again – this time due to cold weather.

The decision to re-lay the cobbles along Market Street was initially welcomed, but has increasingly come under fire for the length of time it has taken to complete the work.

The controversial project left traders furious last year after a number of delays meant work overran, affecting business in the run-up to Christmas.

Workers then had to down tools over the festive period, to prevent further disruption at a crucial time of year, leaving the job half-completed.

Shirley Gillam, who runs Gillam’s Tearoom in Market Street with husband Doug, will be directly affected by the work due to resume on April 15.

She said: “Apparently they are going to try and be done in time for the May Day bank holiday but that means it’s going to be during the flag festival – there’s always something.”

Cumbria County Council has said the mortar used when relaying the cobbles must be at a certain temperature and it has been too cold for work to resume in the last few months.

Tom Bowden, owner of nearby clothing store Working Class Heroes, said he was not against the work taking place but he hopes there will be no more setbacks.

He added: “It would have been better in February. Let’s just hope it doesn’t overrun again.”

The work first began in early 2011 and ran for 16 weeks before being halted over the summer.

Then, after a hiatus of more than a year, the county council announced work would resume in October 2012.

But after the start date was pushed back two weeks, workers struggled to complete the job in time for the mid-November deadline.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria County Council said the work will now resume next month and take five weeks.

She added affected businesses will be informed before the work begins.

First published at 16:28, Thursday, 07 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk