Work to remove town centre's cobbled street begins

Work to remove cobbles from Brentwood High Street started on Monday

A cobbled road in a town centre is being ripped up and resurfaced after feedback from business owners and residents.

The work, between Crown Street and St Thomas Road in Brentwood, Essex, began on Monday to coincide with gas mains upgrades that started last week.

Local business improvement district manager Sarah Walmsley said the cobbles had "pros and cons" but were no longer suitable for motor traffic.

She said she hoped the new asphalt road surface would be more accessible, smoother and quieter.

"Aesthetically, people like the look of them but actually, they're very noisy," she continued.

"When you're travelling down, whether you're in a bus, a taxi or a car, I think they're just no longer fit for purpose."

Her organisation, Brentwood Connected, represents businesses in the town as well as nearby areas of Shenfield and Ingatestone.

Sarah Walmsley is from the local business improvement district

Traders in Brentwood told the BBC they had seen a drop in footfall since the roadworks started.

Ms Walmsley said business owners accepted that the work, which is expected to be completed in late October, were essential.

"It's a frustrating time at the moment but they know it's only going to be for a short time," she added.

Gas distributor Cadent said the 320m (1,050ft) stretch of road will be closed to vehicles until the work is complete, before switching to a rolling lane closure when engineers turn their attention to the rest of the road.

"We have been working with the businesses along the High Street to ensure deliveries will not be disrupted and the street market will not be affected by our works," a spokesperson said.

The road remains open to pedestrians.

Essex Highways apologised for any inconvenience caused by the works.

The resurfacing works follow the creation of a multi-agency panel by Brentwood Borough Council last year.

It included taxi drivers, business owners and councillors who wanted to work together to improve the state of the High Street.

At the time, the council leader said the road had "changed beyond all recognition" since the cobbles were laid in 2009, and residents told the BBC they avoided driving in the area.