Cobbles to be replaced after backlash

Recently revamped cobbles in a town square are set to be replaced after criticism online.

Restoration work has been taking place at Bakehouse Square, in Guisborough, near Middlesbrough.

Andrew Carter, from Redcar and Cleveland Council, said it was accepted the quality of the cobbles was "not good enough".

The local authority and contractor civil engineers Seymour stressed the scheme was not yet complete.

The square, behind the Town Hall, was temporarily opened up to allow access for local businesses operating in the area.

It led to negative comments online, with the resized and re-laid cobbles described as "floating in concrete", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Carter, who is the council's assistant director of growth and enterprise, said: "The work that took place on Bakehouse Square, mainly to do with replacing the cobbles, was not good enough."

He said contractor Seymour had "accepted it was not good enough either" and was going to replace the cobbles at no cost.

Mr Carter added the cobbles were "dynamic" and it was impossible to get a uniform finish.

"There are lessons to be learnt, no doubt about that," he said.

Louise Anderson, the council’s head of place development and investment, said the local authority had used Seymour before and was happy with its work elsewhere.

She said work on Bakehouse Square was not finished yet but the cobbled lane down to Chapel Beck was not "acceptable".

Some £15m was previously allocated to Guisborough from a Government Levelling Up award for various improvement schemes, including Bakehouse Square.

A revamp of Westgate and Chaloner Street is next in line.

The plans include widening pavements and creating a dedicated space at the Market Cross in the Market Place with the aim of reintroducing a market there.

A planning application for the work, which could start early next year, has been withdrawn for consideration.

A council spokeswoman said the main concerns were loss of cobbles and parking, as well as "any intervention which dilutes the historic character of Westgate".

She said "some changes" had been agreed in response.

It had been agreed that any further replacement and removal of historic cobbles would be limited. A planned new pedestrian crossing outside the approach to the Morrisons supermarket has also been removed.

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