DELAYS to the completion of maintenance work at a multi-storey car park will see resurfacing scaled back during the Christmas period.

Resurfacing works at Letchworth GC’s multi-storey car park - initially estimated to cost �370,000 - began on August 30 and was expected to be completed around December 6.

The works, which had limited the number of levels open at the Gernon Road site, will now continue into the new year at an extra expense to North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) due to unforeseen corrosion of the steel reinforcement within the car park decks. The total cost of the resurfacing is not yet known but the council has said the structural integrity of the car park has not been affected.

Following discussions with the contractor, the council has ensured all levels of the car park will be open from December 9 to January 3.

“Clearly it’s important that we resolve the unforeseen issues that have emerged as work continues on the car park,” said Cllr Tom Brindley, NHDC’s portfolio holder for planning, transport and enterprise.

“But it’s also important for people who want to shop in Letchworth over the Christmas period, as well as the local traders who rely on their business, to be able to park easily when they come to do their shopping. That’s why we’re going to make sure that all levels of the car park are open for that period.

“Meanwhile I’d like to apologise for the inevitable noise as work is carried out, especially to those residents who will be affected while some of this takes place in the evenings. Certain work means that bits of concrete are liable to fall to the levels below, and clearly we can’t have those levels open as that is done.

“We’re doing some of that work in the evenings to minimise the levels we will have to close during the day when the car park is most likely to be busy, and we will be writing to nearby residents to explain this further.”