Hillsborough Park: Some repair work could be delayed due to weather

The ground was left muddy following bad weather during the Tramlines Festival weekend

Some of the work to repair a Sheffield park following a music festival could take longer than expected, organisers have warned.

Sections of Hillsborough Park were left inaccessible after the Tramlines Festival due to heavy rain.

Sheffield City Council said the park would reopen gradually in sections, but repairs had been hampered by further wet weather.

The repairs are being paid for by the festival organisers.

Tramlines operations director Timm Cleasby said: "We understand the frustration of the Hillsborough community that sections of the park will remain fenced while repair work continues.

"The timetable is of course subject to the weather."

Despite the delays, he said they had promised to get the work done.

"We'll get it right, we're paying for everything, and we'll keep residents informed," he said.

The festival will pick up the bill for all the work needed to restore the park

Work being carried out by contractors includes the removal of debris and the top layer of soil, raking and levelling, and reseeding.

Ground repairs began on 31 July and the festival's perimeter fence is due to be removed today.

The council said it was unable to confirm a date for when repairs would be completed.

Richard Williams, chair of the council's communities, parks and leisure committee, said recent weather would mean some parts of the park would have to "dry out further" before groundwork could begin.

"The council will continue to monitor progress to ensure that high quality and sustainable repairs are made in reasonable timeframes for the weather conditions," he added.

Around 40,000 fans attended the three-day festival from 21 to 23 July each day.

Headliners included Richard Ashcroft, Courteeners and Paul Heaton as well as a secret set from McFly.