A TOWN centre butcher has complained that the resurfacing of the High Street in Droitwich is already “breaking up and potholes are starting to form” – less than a fortnight after it re-opened.

The £650,000 revamp was completed on November 24 and officially re-opened on December 2, but Andrew Green, owner of Knightsgrove Meats, has said the cracks have already started to show.

Severn Trent Water (STW) completed infrastructure work in June before the scheme, jointly funded by Worcestershire County Council (WCC) and Wychavon District Council, began later in the summer.

The redevelopment has included improvements to the uneven road and pavements, as well as a raised crossing point installed – with several traders having complained at the length of time the work was taking.

“A fortnight after the resurfacing was finished, it’s breaking up and potholes are starting to form,” said Mr Green.

“I’ve reported it to the council but nobody seems that interested.”

He went on to say: “The general feeling amongst traders is that the work was very much needed but the workmanship is not what we thought it would be. The level of finish is pretty poor.”

He said the snow over the weekend made things “a little bit worse, but it’s the way the surface has been put down, it was never going to last”.

"This is the first frost we've had," he added.

Eve Williams, owner of Ace Essentials, also on the High Street, said: “It’s just big chippings and then there is going to be holes forming.

“Time will tell, I suppose.”

Councillor Alan Amos, cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said: "We are aware that a small number of chippings have come loose which is not unusual when resurfacing is carried out but this does not have any impact on the structural integrity of the carriageway. 

"We will monitor it and if necessary reheat the area and lay some more chippings."

In order to encourage customers back onto the High Street following the long-term closure, several of the town’s businesspeople have formed an initiative called Droitwich Means Business (DMB) over the festive period.

Patrick Davis, spokesman for DMB, said: “We have lots of novel activity planned in and a fair amount of money to do this and all gathered from businesses and local organisations.

“This is local big business trying to help the small guys, as it were.”