Contractor has Remembrance Day aim for parade

NMCNomenca, the contractor working on behalf of Severn Trent Water to upgrade the town centre’s sewers, has said this section of the project is on course to be completed before the ceremony takes place at the war memorial in Euston Place.

Residents have said that progress seemed slow but Mark Lasance, project manager for the contractor, has assured them there is no cause for concern.

Speaking earlier this week, he said: “Work on the Parade is on target to be completed for Remembrance Sunday.

“Construction of the combined sewer overflow chamber has gone well and we hope to install the cover slab on Friday.

“Ground conditions have been better than expected, we haven’t encountered any existing apparatus that has caused us too much difficulty.”

Contractors have been working between 7.30am and 5.30pm from Mondays to Fridays and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays to stay on schedule.

But delays have been experienced in Clarendon Street due to hard ground conditions and difficulty locating gas mains.

Should delays cause the entire project to run for longer than is deemed reasonable then fines could be imposed.

Mr Lasance said: “If we go over the agreed time schedules then the Highways Agency can issue section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act.

“We do have a bit of leeway if artificial obstructions are hit but if we are not seen to be working in a productive manner they could say they are not going to extend dates and can enforce penalties.”

At the time of going to print, Warwick and Leamington MP Chris White was due to visit engineers at the Regent Grove section of the site yesterday (Thursday) to check on progress.

The entire project, which includes work in Clarendon Street, Swan Street and Cross Street, is due to be completed in March next year.