HAMPSHIRE civic chiefs were criticised for delaying the suspension of road maintenance in Winchester city centre.

Contractors were yesterday still at work in St Swithun Street.

A local resident, who took the photo but asked not to be named, said: "As an NHS worker, I was shocked to see how paving the street was given priority over life saving protection. The council has let the paving in St Swithun Street deteriorate over many years and there is no urgency to get it repaired now.

"People ought to be working from home if they possibly can. If they are compelled to do life saving work, they should ensure that they maintain social distance and don’t make the problem worse. This activity is setting a bad example: the workers, their families and the public are being put at risk for a low priority task."

Yesterday Hampshire County Council directed all available highways resources to emergency and safety-related work on the road network during the Coronavirus outbreak.

This means that, once sites have been made safe, all non-essential work on road construction sites, including new schemes and planned highways maintenance works, will be temporarily suspended.

Councillor Rob Humby, Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, said: “Hampshire County Council’s Highways team are in the process of winding down all non-essential maintenance works, including the scheme at St Swithun Street. Once sites have been made safe they will be closed down and, where possible, all signs and barriers removed.”

He added: “Our primary concern is protecting the safety of residents and our workforce and their families. It is clear that it is very difficult for people to carry out aspects of highways work safely, away from residents, while observing ‘social distancing’ measures and working two metres apart from one another. We also need to consider what is essential travel at this time and prioritise emergency and safety highways works.”

The county council is working with all its contractors on measures to wind down sites for all non-essential road schemes to a point where they can be safely suspended.

The council’s property services team is working with contractors to ensure essential maintenance and support services continue in order to keep buildings operating safely and effectively but is suspending all non-essential maintenance works until a review of activity is completed. Some works may resume where it is safe to do so and compliance with Government and industry guidelines can be achieved. Following Government guidance, and where work can continue in line with Public Health advice on social distancing, work will continue on both new and existing projects at stand-alone construction sites where they are away from the public highway.

The temporary suspension of road schemes and property maintenance, and the continuation of work on stand-alone construction sites, will be kept under regular review.