Neath Port Talbot Council is to re-lay eleven-year-old red brick paving in the centre of Neath.

Work is scheduled to start on replacing the paving in Green Street and Queen Street, Neath, on January 6th, 2020.

The existing red brick paving, which was laid eleven years ago, is showing signs of wear and tear, thought to be due in part to heavy delivery lorries which use the paved areas outside the pedestrian-only time of 10.30am – 5pm.

The original red bricks will gradually be removed and re-laid in a new pattern which will have wider joints. These will be filled with a robust cement grout mix.

The work will be completed segment by segment and pedestrians will be able to walk past the areas being re-paved, whilst maintaining access to every premises and minimising disruption.

Works are scheduled to start on Monday, 6th January 2020, with the first 15 segments taking 16 weeks to complete but potentially the works could take 20 weeks should the whole area be repaired (involving a further four segments).

A Council spokesman said:

“This area was originally paved back in 1988 and was re-laid around 11 years ago so now, to ensure the safety of pedestrians, we plan to reuse and relay the bricks using a fixative which will give it a long life.

“Modern lorries are heavier and, with the passage of time, we now need to re-lay the bricks to ensure public safety. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience the work may cause but we hope any disruption will be kept to a minimum.”

Arrangements will be made for vehicular deliveries to be made to Green Street and Queen Street outside the core pedestrian-only time of 10.30am – 5pm.