Historic streets in city centre repaved with patchy tarmac leaving residents fuming

Locals have dubbed a tarmac patchwork job on a historic city street a ‘shameful eyesore’.

Paving stones around one of Birmingham’s most historic streets were torn up and replaced with patches of unsightly black tarmac.

Workers from National Grid undertook work near Birmingham’s 19th-century town hall, Birmingham City Council House and Colmore Row, which is home to 23 listed buildings.

After the work, upended slabs were not replaced, and instead the holes were filled in with zig-zag lines of black tarmac.

Brummies have been left seething at the work, which they say harms the character of the picturesque area.

Wayne McNally, 48, who lives and works in the city center, said: ‘It’s just typical of this inept city that we can’t even look after the nice parts.

‘We’ve had the bin strikes and the council going bust, and now they are doing shoddy repatching jobs which look like it’s been done by a dodgy bloke who knocks at your door asking if you want your driveway done.

‘This is a really historic and also beautiful part of Brum – and we haven’t many of those left to be honest. It’s a shameful eyesore and yet another embarrassment for this city.’

One city center worker, who did not want to be named, said: ‘There was an electrical fault somewhere underground. Our whole building, the restaurant next door and loads of office buildings were left with no power.

‘They came and dug it up twice to try and locate the fault. But what has been left is this horrible scar on the pavement. It looks terrible.’

Others took to social media to vent their anger, with one writing: ‘I thought it was a legal requirement to reinstate the surface as they found it? Who is responsible for accepting it as complete at handover?’

A National Grid Electricity Distribution spokesperson said: ‘We know the current finish on Colmore Row isn’t what people expect, and we understand the frustration that’s been shared locally.

‘A temporary surface is in place to keep the area open and safe to use while a permanent solution is implemented, which is standard practice.

‘Reinstating the original granite slabs is more complex than standard paving.

‘We’re working closely with the council to agree the right approach, including responsibility, materials and delivery, and to restore the area properly as soon as possible.’

Metro has contacted Birmingham City Council for a statement.

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