During the lockdown period Staffordshire County Council and Contractor Amey Highways have been able to continue with the regeneration works on Station Street. The primary decision to continue the work during this time was to try and complete a large amount of the scheme whilst limiting disruption to business owners and members of the public.
It was decided that the programme of works would be re-phased to enable the footways on both sides of the street to be excavated and re-laid with new pavers outside of the shops whilst the street had minimal footfall.
Since the reopening of non-essential shops Amey and Staffordshire County Council have ensured that access has always been maintained for businesses that have re-opened. This has supported East Staffordshire Borough Council’s efforts to implement a safe environment in the Town Centre, by ensuring pedestrians have adequate space to allow them to socially distance. As the lockdown restrictions are further eased Amey and SCC shall continue to ensure that suitably spaced walkways are provided as the work compounds change.
Councillor George Allen, Deputy Leader for Regeneration and Planning Policy at East Staffordshire Borough Council said: “I am very happy that the work was able to continue whilst the Country was in lockdown; it was clearly the right decision. The hard work of contractors on site has allowed a large amount of work to be undertaken with limited disruption to businesses on the street and pedestrians walking in the area."
“I have visited the site on a number of occasions and have spoken with the Project and Site Managers. I am extremely impressed with the work that has been undertaken to date and I’m looking forward to seeing the changes over the coming weeks.
"I would particularly like to thank the teams on site and Council staff for their continued efforts during the difficult lockdown period”.
Staffordshire County Council’s economic growth leader Mark Winnington said: “The last few months have been incredibly difficult, but our project teams have continued to work through them wherever possible to ensure our economy is in as good a place as it can be.
“Regeneration of our town centres is vital and so we’re pleased the work in Station Street has been moving forward. The team has taken advantage of the quieter town centre to get work done outside shops with minimal disruption.
“We look forward to seeing the completion of the project in the autumn and would like to thank people for their continued patience while it is carried out”.
The works remain on programme to finish on time in Mid-October despite all of the extra measures that have been put in place to ensure the safety of the workers on site and members of the public.
We appreciate the patience the people of Burton and Business owners of Station Street have shown.