THE borough council has confirmed that construction work to transform the area surrounding Town Mills into a park has been temporarily put on hold.

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, contractors working on the main gas works in the area have been redeployed to focus on essential emergency work.

This has led to a pause in the overall project, as progress to the new access road cannot continue until the main gas works are complete. Contractors have demobilised, back-filled all excavations and made the area safe until they are able to recommence work on-site.

Works to create a park along the river began in February following a consultation in which residents said they wanted the space to become somewhere that people could stay, play, picnic and enjoy the river.

Over the past couple of months, significant progress has already been made to the area outside the Town Mills pub, with non-native vegetation having been removed from raised plant beds, and the diversion of the gas main and groundworks for the new entrance well underway.

Plans are now being put in place to ensure the temporary pause will not have too much of an impact on the proposed completion for 2020.

Next steps in the project include completing the new access route to the car park and businesses from Western Avenue, the transformation of Town Mill road into a park area as well as the planting of new trees, a new park hedge and the installation of railings in the existing pocket park.