Two months of road closures as work begins to upgrade Stamford cobbles

Two months of road closures will be in place starting this weekend as work begins to replace the cobbles in Stamford’s Red Lion Square with stone setts, as part of a £1.4 million scheme.

Lincolnshire County Council will keep, and update, the cobbled square despite the mayor of Stamford previously calling on the authority to instead use tarmac. Local residents had previously reacted in horror when the traditional paving setts were repacked with patches of tarmac in 2020.

Yorkshire setts were initially installed in Red Lion Square in 2007, and the location has previously been used as a backdrop for filming period dramas. However, in recent years the stone setts required ongoing maintenance as vehicles moving through the square caused them to move around, lift out of place or break.

The stones will be replaced with thicker setts on a stronger base and when complete the project will increase safety for pedestrians and road users, while maintaining Stamford’s heritage aesthetic.

On-site works officially started on Tuesday, May 3 and are expected to last until late August, subject to weather and any unforeseen circumstances.

Road closures

• Sunday, May 8 until mid-July – full southbound closure of Red Lion Square and St John’s Street
• There will be a signed diversion route in place via A6121 West Street, A6121 North Street, A6121 East Street, A1175 Brazenose Lane, A1175 St Leonard’s Street, A1175 Wharf Road, B1081 St Mary’s Hill, B1081 St Mary’s Street, B1081 St John’s Street, Red Lion Square. Northbound traffic will remain unaffected
• A full road closure of Red Lion Square and the western end of the High Street will be in place for up to three weeks during the scheme. However, dates and details are still being finalised and will be shared by the county council closer to the time

Red Lion Square in Stamford. | Photo: LCC

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “The site compound for the project team is now set-up and works to improve Red Lion Square’s stone cobbles will officially start next week.

“This will be a massive undertaking over the next four months, with the team first removing 620 square metres of current paving and building a new foundation before laying roughly 22,500 new stone setts.

“Once finished, the square’s surface will be far safer, more robust and harder-wearing making it much easier to maintain while staying in keeping with its unique historic aesthetic.”

He added: “To keep disruption to a minimum, we’ve planned the works so that northbound traffic can pass through the square throughout most of the project with only southbound vehicles being diverted.

“There will also be a three-week period later in the scheme when the entire square will need to be closed so the team can safely pave the junction onto the High Street and the area near pedestrian crossing.

“Residents and businesses can rest assured that we’ll be doing all we can to maintain access for pedestrians, shop deliveries and the emergency services throughout the project.

“Eurovia also has a dedicated public liaison officer on-site to answer questions and work with closely with businesses to ensure they experience as little inconvenience as possible.”