Concerns raised over 'unfinished' look of £1.1m Bailgate restoration project
Concerns have been raised over the paving in Lincoln's cathedral quarter just three months after it was laid.
Traders and residents have said some of the stone work set down at part of a £1.1m scheme called Bailgate Restored looks "unfinished" and there are worries over how long it will last.
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The new stonework in Lincoln's Bailgate.
Pictures taken by the Echo show broken corners on some stones, as well as what appear to be crumbling edges.
But Lincolnshire County Council – which is financing the project – has said the York Stone paving was picked to look deliberately "rustic" in a bid to blend in with the historic feel of the area.
Local butcher Kenny Roberts, owner of Elite Meats on Bailgate said: "I thought it was still waiting to be finished, it doesn't look like it's been finished.
"The paving slabs look like they need patching up."
The York paving stone is the same type that was laid in Flaxengate and the High Street.
As reported in the Echo, these areas needed three sets of repairs in the two and a half years after they were laid, although the council says that problems with the bedding mortar of the stones have now been ironed out.
Adam Round, senior engineer said: "The desired look of the carriageway in the Bailgate is that of a 'rustic' one that is more fitting to the Bailgate area."
7 Comments
by Jim, ...
Tuesday, May 04 2010, 3:09PM
“lets hope it's not the same York Stone as used in other 'regeneration' work in Lincoln otherwise it'll need relaying soon.”
by Jim, Lincoln
Monday, May 03 2010, 2:52PM
“Well I actually thought it looked very impressive when I was up there last weekend. People in Lincoln do not like change, end of story.”
by Dave Ornsby, Lincoln
Monday, May 03 2010, 2:32PM
“The fact is that the area really was in a terrible mess. The paving was so patched and bodged that it is a miracle that the scores of old dears that drag their husbands down there at the weekends, in their finery, didn't suffer stiletto induced calamities on it. The road was as bad; scruffy, ugly and patched. What had been achieved now is unquestionably a fantastic improvement. There shouldn't be any question of what we see being a 'fake victoriana' finish. We are not Victorians and Bailgate is no longer a Victorian street. It is a street that has buildings dating back to the Romans right up to the modern delights of the Curtis' premises. Making it look authentically Victorian would be arguably a daft thing to do aswell. What they have done is relayed the road and pavement in something that is doubtlessly, to any visitors, a quality material that has taken time and expense to produce. It is inspired by tradition, and using traditional quality materials to make the area stand out as it should. Perhaps it would have been nice to use riven, rough paving instead of all machine cut square slabs, and beautifully hand calved gullies from cast iron downspouts and to find lovely 'made in Lincoln' ironwork to fit into position and make it look like it was all laid in 1910 and had people walking in plimsolls on it ever since, being vigorously brushed and maintained by the Victorian Ladies Street Sweeping, Window Cleaning and Nattering Over The Garden Wall Society. But then, why? We are in 2010. It was laid now and should reflect that. The curbs will get chipped on the edges and the flags will get cracks in the corners and they will, at first, show up even more due to the pristine and perfectly square cut appearance of it when new. But in a few years, when it has blackened and bedded in, it will take on it's worn character that the natural stone will produce and I'm sure it will be appreciated. We cannot deny that the buildings are much better set off by this new finish and whatever we may say about it, it is a terrific step in the right direction, which is certainly nothing to be grumbled about.”
by Stan Butler, On The Buses
Monday, May 03 2010, 10:28AM
“The whole exercise has been a complete waste of time and money. This is certainly NOT any form of restoration whatsoever. The workmen carrying out this job have cut through pipes and cables and this has been a Heath & Safety nightmare.It is fortunate that no passer by has been injured. If this had been a true restoration then the existing reeded sandstone period path edgings would have been conserved, repaired and replaced where needed and in short 'restored' as the name 'Bailgate Restored' suggests. The existing flagstones would have been repaired where needed or even lifted and relaid. Instead we have a twee 'Laura Ashley' fake Victoriana look straight out of the 1980s. In any event; we have at least two timber framed shops in the Bail and in addition the Lion and Snake public house. All which are timber framed buildings. If we were truly restoring Bailgate then these buildings for a start would have been restored to their original look with their exposed wooden frames, or at least they could have been offered an incentive to restore these buildings. This is certainly not 'Bailgate Restored' instead this should be correctly renamed 'Money Wasted'.”
by TARMAC Harry @ the BOYS, ON A ROAD BODGING lincs
Monday, May 03 2010, 9:49AM
“TARMAC the lot ...got five ton in the back of the lorry can do the job on the cheap like the council”
by rick, lincoln
Monday, May 03 2010, 8:30AM
“to be honest this york stone isnt very good you onlyu have to look at the the areas where it broke and needed replacing to see how rubbish it is when vehicles go over it.
seems like the council didnt leaqrn from its mistakes, as i predict ina few months that some of this york stone will need replacing on bailgate closing the road down for work to be done.”
by Steve, Lincoln Edge
Monday, May 03 2010, 7:50AM
“I just feel that the stone used looks too modern for the area in which it has been laid.”