WORK to re-pave Kimbolton High Street could be delayed until January after businesses feared trade would suffer over the Christmas period. Kimbolton High Street is a conservation area and local councillors have been concerned at the damage which has been

WORK to re-pave Kimbolton High Street could be delayed until January after businesses feared trade would suffer over the Christmas period.

Kimbolton High Street is a conservation area and local councillors have been concerned at the damage which has been caused to paving slabs.

A re-paving and re-cobbling scheme, costing £100,000, was set to start in late September and take 16 weeks. But Huntingdonshire District Council has been asked to rethink the timing after shop owners feared the work would deter Christmas shoppers from visiting the village.

Hugh Burton, owner of Landins, in Kimbolton High Street, said he was in favour of the work but there was a right time and a wrong time for it to take place.

"We do not know how much of an impact it will have on trade. The fear is that if people know Kimbolton High Street is being dug up in October and November they will just still away. Christmas time would be the wrong time for the work to take place."

Part of a wider issue is a lack of parking in Kimbolton High Street. A survey carried out by one retailer showed there to be 90 spaces in the high street but 70 of those were used by either traders or residents.

At a public meeting held on August 16 between councillors, traders and residents, the district council came up with a compromise to carry out the work in October and November.

But traders were not happy with the compromise and have now asked if the work can be put on hold until January.

Mr Burton added: "It is positive that the council are listening to the traders and taking note of our concerns. But Christmas does not start in December, for shoppers it starts in October and November, and we would ask that the work be delayed until January."

A spokesman for HDC said: "We are still waiting to hear back from the contractors but we think it is going to be possible for the work to start in January to cause minimum disruption to traders.