Anglian Water must foot the bill to restore the original block paving on Bedford High Street after emergency roadworks left a loading bay covered in tarmac.
Bedford Borough Council confirmed the utility company must replace the missing paving blocks at its own expense after work underneath the road.
Paving replaced
The issue arose after contractors dug up the street to repair a burst water main under the High Street.
The burst pipe, which came hours after a hosepipe ban came into effect, caused the full closure of the High Street in Bedford town between the junction of St. Peter’s Street and Mill Street on Monday 13 July, due to a burst water main.
Read: Bedford High Street springs a leak as hosepipe ban comes into effect
While contractors fixed the leak and relaid the main road surface, they surfaced a nearby block-paved loading bay in tarmac instead of restoring it to its original condition.
Local man Ian Gregory raised concerns after the contractors departed, noting that the single tarmac section “looks out of place amongst the rest of the paved bays” and asking for it to be restored.
Council intervention
Council officers are now directly intervening to ensure the utility provider meets its legal obligations to return the streetscape to its former state.
A spokesperson for Bedford Borough Council said: “Anglian Water is required to carry out the replacement of the paving slabs in Bedford High Street at their cost.”
The spokesperson added that council officers are currently “liaising with Anglian Water to agree a date when this work can be carried out.”
