A "superficial" response to concerns over the "sloppy" £350,000 resurfacing work done to Cheltenham town centre earlier this year has been met with anger in the spa town.
That is the view of Cheltenham Civic Society who are campaigning for highways contractors to come back and remedy the work done at The Strand part of High Street.
The pressure group claim Gloucestershire County Council promised the work would be done to the standard of Cambray Place, where notorious so-called tarmac cowpats blighted the street scene.
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They say the current state of The Strand means town centre visitors coming from the east side of Cheltenham are greeted by a "grubby and uninviting gateway to the town centre".
Civic Society chairman Andrew Booton said Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) leader Lisa Spivey's (LD, South Cerney) comments have angered many town residents.
She said the work was awarded in line with their procurement procedures and has been carried out properly.
"Whilst this may not be the visual appearance we would have liked to have been able to install, the surface is safe and not defective," she said.
Mr Booton said the response entirely missed their point.
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"Our concern is not about 'wishes' but about duties – the inescapable duty to deliver value for money for the taxpayer and the duty to preserve or enhance the appearance of the Conservation Area under Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990," he said.
"GCC promised Cheltenham that the Strand would be surfaced to the same quality as the top of Cambray Place. However, that has not happened.
"In fact, GCC and its contractor (Ringway) have failed miserably to get anywhere close to that standard.
"So either the specifications for the contract were quietly downgraded or the contractor has failed to meet them," added Andrew Booton.
"Whatever the case, the implementation by GCC's contractor is both exceedingly poor and sloppy – leaving Cheltenham with a very grubby and uninviting gateway to the town centre.
"So it's a good job that we managed to stop them ripping up the York flagstones down the middle of the Promenade, as GCC clearly cannot be trusted to keep its promises.
"But at least the work on the Strand is still under a year's warranty for materials and workmanship.
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"What we are saying is that the contractors must be made to come back and remedy the installation under warranty and bring it up to the required standard – i.e. the same as the pedestrianised part of Cambray Place.
"We are NOT saying that GCC should spend even more money on a scheme that, at approaching £400,000, is almost criminally overpriced already."
Highways cabinet member Joe Harris (LD, Cirencester Park) has contacted the Civic Society to meet with them and discuss their concerns.
The County Council said previously that they are working with Cheltenham Borough Council on improving other aspects of the town centre..
This includes features such as art installations, benches and planters which they believe enhance the area.
Shire Hall chiefs are confident that once these improvement works have been carried out the town centre will remain a thriving place to be.