Repair work needed at recently upgraded square

Red Lion Square has been featured in period dramas like Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice

Parts of a cobbled Georgian market square are to re-laid less than a year after they were replaced.

Lincolnshire County Council said minor repairs were needed in Stamford's Red Lion Square after some of the work failed to meet its "stringent quality requirements".

The cobbles, or setts, in the market place - which has featured in period dramas such as Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice - were replaced at a cost of £1.4m in October.

A council spokesperson said the repair work would take place in September and would require a series of road closures.

Karen Cassar, assistant director of highways, said: “We always carry out tests to ensure newly-laid road surfacing, including stone setts, meets the high standards we expect.

“Unfortunately, some of the joints and bonding between the setts laid last year at Red Lion Square haven’t met the stringent quality requirements we specified in our designs."

She said the contractor would repair the sections of the square in question "at their own cost".

Work to replace the original setts was criticised by the town's former mayor, Gloria Johnson, who called it a "waste of money" and suggested it should instead be tarmacked over.

Ms Cassar added: "Repairing these defective joints now, at the contractor’s expense, will not only save the council money and time in the future, but it will prevent further disruption down the line and ensure that Red Lion Square is durable enough to deal with the high levels of traffic it sees throughout the year."

A council spokesperson said the road would be fully closed for up to 10 days from 11 September.

Footpaths will remain open during the work for pedestrians.

A diversion will direct drivers on a route through Scotgate, North Street, East Street, Braze Nose Lane, St Leonards Street, Wharf Road, St Mary’s Street and St John’s Street during the road closures.