THE mayor of a North-East town has hit out at a council for spending more than £400,000 restoring historic cobbles in the past ten years.

Councillor Jason Hadlow said the High Street in Yarm, near Stockton, still looks a mess after Stockton Borough Council revealed it had completed most of its £415,000 renovation project.

Over the past decade, the council has been progressively replacing and repairing the 4,500sq metres of cobbled areas which line both sides of the High Street.

However, council officers have been forced to apologise in recent months after wonky parking lines and warning notices appeared on the traditional cobbles. The council said the restoration project, which has involved repairing the foundations and reseating the stones, is necessary because constant use by modern vehicles loosens the cobbles.

Mr Hadlow said he was shocked at how much money had been spent.

“They (the council) are clearly deluded,” he said. “I can’t believe what they have done. For once I am lost for words. It is a complete waste of £415,000 of taxpayers’ money.”

Richard McGuckin, the borough council’s head of technical services, said: “We could, of course, repair the cobbled area for a fraction of this cost if we chose an alternative surface such as tarmac, but this would neither be in keeping with our aspirations to protect the heritage of Yarm nor, we are sure, in line with residents’ wishes.

“There are approaching half a million cobbles over the length of Yarm High Street – so the repair cost of less than £1 per cobble over ten years represents very good value.”

The main carriageway of the High Street will be resurfaced in the autumn.

People who live in Yarm and visitors are being reminded that parking restrictions are to become more rigorously enforced as the work nears completion.

Councillor Mike Smith, the borough council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “Obviously, times have changed and the cobbles face a very different kind of daily wear and tear, yet they remain important to the character of the town.

“They were installed in the era of horse-drawn vehicles and drovers bringing their stock to market, but today’s traffic can be anything from small cars to 4x4s, buses and delivery vehicles.

“All modern vehicles can cause a great deal more damage to the cobbled surface, weakening the settings of the cobbles over time.”

During a site visit earlier this year, Yarm Civic Society said it was pleased with how the work was going.