Grantham Market Place works pushed back to September due to supplier issues Lincolnshire County Council confirms
Major works to a Market Place will not finish this month, the county council has confirmed.
However, the authority says its programme of works across the town as a whole are “in full swing”.
The Grantham Market Place works, part of a £4.1 million scheme which also includes Station Approach, were due to be completed by August 19.
However, in a statement today, Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council said: “Unfortunately, due to a supplier issue, we won’t be able to hit that date.
“Despite selecting the quickest stone sett supplier available, they haven’t been able to deliver the amounts we need due to the high demand of these materials nationally and their production capacity.
“We’ve looked into alternative suppliers, but there just aren’t any others that can get us what we need any faster so we just have to wait until the quarry can catch-up.”
Instead, the new deadline will be September 30, subject to getting the final batch of setts.
So far, the authority has been able to lay the final Market Place setts and says they will have cured in time to have the south layby open in time for next week’s bank holiday weekend.
Vehicles travelling into the area will be able to get to Wide Westgate.
“Our focus now will be on laying the final setts to Conduit Lane and the north layby,” said Karen.
The news might be disappointing to South Kesteven District Council leader Councillor Ashley Baxter (Ind), who in July said the works would most likely be finished by August 19 “notwithstanding neutron bombs or whatever”.
The council has been asked for a comment on the delays but had not responded at the time of publication.
The works have already caused consternation for some businesses and the latest delay will only add to their issues
Mark Boddy, from AdPost Network Ltd, which has been based in Priory Mews for over eight years, said the closures had caused additional costs in time and staffing due to the extra effort needed to carry deliveries and parcels across to Conduit Lane, as well as a number of missed deliveries.
“Communication has never been great from day one with notice only being given three days before works started,” he said.
“I appreciate that some of the Leisure based businesses around the market place will benefit from the works once completed but it will have no positive effect on our company at all.
“The noise and congestion has been a pain but the workers themselves have been polite and as helpful as they can be.
“Another seven weeks delay will just mean more time inconvenience and costs for us as a company.”
Works on the Station Approach part of the project are due to begin on Monday (August 19).
The work will see resurfacing and upgrades to pedestrian facilities at Harlaxton Road, Wharf Road, Westgate and Sankt Augustin Way; upgrading the existing traffic signals; and jet-washing the footpath on the north side of Wharf Road onto the southernmost part of Westgate.
Access to the train station will remain unaffected until late September. After that, access to the station will be via London Road.
All station car parks remain open and unaffected but people are advised to leave extra time for their journeys.
Karen said this would be the “most challenging phase of our plan”.
She said the 2024 schedule of roadworks was “in full swing” but warned: “we’re encouraging people to plan accordingly, leave longer for their journeys and to expect delays in Grantham over the coming months.
“I know this is less than ideal, but it’s important to remember that the short-term pain will be worth the long-term gain when it comes to this inevitable disruption.”
In good news, the authority has completed the construction of a pedestrian crossing and reconstruction to the B1174 in Great Gonerby, as well as a new crossing on Barrowby Road, near Poplar Farm in July. Reconstruction of a section of Alma Park Road should also finish this month,
“These completed works mean safer journeys for everyone, whether you’re travelling by car, on foot or by cycle,” said Karen.
Finally, the Dysart Road project - a 22-week project looking to refurbish the road surface, drainage, footways, and kerbs - has not yet encountered any issues so far, said Karen.
However, she said it was “early days” yet.
Diversion routes for Dysart Road will be modified “slightly” once the Station Approach works begin.
The route for standard vehicles lower than 4.5 metres in height will be via A52 Sankt Augustin Way/Barrowby Road (A607)/Broad Street/Brownlow Street/A607/Watergate B1174/A52 Wharf Road/ A607/ Swingbridge Road/Trent Road/Dysart Road.
Meanwhile the route for HGVs taller than 4.5m in height will be via A52 Sankt Augustin Way/Barrowby Road (A607)/Broad Street/Brownlow Street/A607/Watergate B1174/A52 (South)/B1174/Tollemache Road North/A52/A1/A607 Harlaxton/Swingbridge Road/Trent Road/Dysart Road.
“We’re continuing to work through each and every challenge put in front of us, with a continuing focus on getting these Grantham roadworks finished as quickly and efficiently as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum,” said Karen.
“In the meantime, I want to thank everyone for their patience and bearing with us while we work towards making Grantham an easier place to travel in.”