Town councillors have raised fresh concerns about “appalling” new pavements in Burnham-On-Sea town centre.
Negotiations are ongoing between the contractor and Burnham & Highbridge Town Council following the work in the High Street earlier this year which saw an area of the pavement replaced with a new brick surface, which has created a number of ongoing problems.
Councillors have compiled a ‘snagging list’ with photos of the issues, which the Town Council says it wants fully fixed before it will pay the final bill.
Cllr Martin Cox said at the latest meeting of the council’s Town Projects Committee that the problems include “unfinished edging of paving slabs alongside buildings, poorly sized brickwork, loose bricks, inconsistent brick patterns, gaps between pavement bricks and brickwork lifting out of the pavement.”
He added: “Cllr Young and I have visited the High Street to see if there’s been any action to resolve the issues – there has been on a few points, but only a few.”
“We must keep up the pressure on this – the issues are unacceptable and must not be ‘swept under the carpet’.”
Cllr John Parkes told the meeting: “This work is poor to say the least – it’s so shocking it is almost unbelievable. You wouldn’t allow work like this in your own home so why should we allow it in our town centre? It is appalling.”
Committee Chairman Cllr Young agreed: “You could never accept the work like it is. We are not at all happy about it and will not let up the pressure.”
Town Council Clerk Denise Emery explained that the Project Manager, Town Council and other stakeholders are in “continuing discussions” to get the issues resolved.
The changes are being funded from a combined work package amounting to £440,000 funded by Tesco to offset the expansion of its Burnham store, plus grants from the Town Council and Sedgemoor District Council.
