A SUMMER programme of major sewer and road enhancements in Droitwich Spa has been cancelled.

Design problems have this week forced Severn Trent to ditch its June start date for work to rejuvenate the Victorian sewerage system in High Street and the Saltway.

Instead residents, councillors and traders, who have campaigned for years to get improvements, must wait until September.

The move also dealt a blow to associated projects by Wychavon Highways Partnership Unit.

Traffic chiefs had hoped to resurface the Spa's dilapidated High Street, once the new pipes were laid, and re-align and resurface the busy Queen Street traffic junction.

Collapsed pipe

Water firm Severn Trent announced earlier this year its intention to fix a collapsed sewer pipe in High Street, repair six cross connection foul and storm pipes, and bury a flood water tank under the Saltway.

It was estimated a stretch of the Saltway would close for three months, along with further weekend disruption in High Street.

Wychavon Highways Partnership Unit's senior maintenance technician, Andrew Wynn, said: "Severn Trent has just informed us it has a design problem with its works and they have been put back until September.

"Our project in Queen Street, which aims to widen narrow lanes, is being partly funded by developers who built in Hanbury Road and it is possible that could still go ahead.

Waiting

"However, we were waiting for the Saltway to be closed off to traffic, because working with three junctions open, instead of four would have been easier and possibly quicker."

The highways unit has now been forced to review its position.

Town mayor and trader Jan Bolton (Con - Droit.East) was disappointed to hear of the delays: "It makes me wonder when the work will ever get done," she said.

"We have been waiting for several years to tackle the problems caused by these inadequate sewers, which have caused terrible flooding, and now it seems we must wait even longer."

"I think people were prepared for the upheaval but I just hope the work does not extend to the Christmas period because that could have quite a negative impact on trade and festive activities," the mayor added.

The Severn Trent communications office was not able to provide a comment at the time of going to press.