DISAPPOINTMENT has been expressed that an historic Wellington town centre street has been closed just a fortnight after it was fully reopened following a year-long building project.

Cornhill, which is now a pedestrian route running behind Wetherspoon’s Iron Duke public house from Fore Street to North Street, has seen a row of former shops converted into homes.

It was fully reopened with the last fencing and scaffolding removed in the week before Christmas as the LiveWest housing association project neared its end.

But this week, Wessex Water completely closed Cornhill while it undertook work to connect a new water supply.

One town councillor told the Wellington Weekly: “I find it incredulous that we have had work going on for the past 12 months and Wessex Water could not have tied in with it to connect up water pipes.

“Instead, they have to come back after Cornhill has been opened up and it was starting to look nice again.

“It is really disappointing that there has not been better co-ordination of the work.

“The question now is, will Wessex Water come back again each time a new home needs connecting, or will we see Cornhill dug up time and again to connect electricity and other utilities?”

The Cornhill frontage is part of a redevelopment started two years ago of land running from the Iron Duke behind Fore Street as far as the North Street car park to deliver 42 low-cost homes.

Some of Cornhill’s traditional shop front features such as beams and unusual window shapes have been incorporated into the look of the terrace of new homes.

The 42 properties are all being offered by LiveWest for social rent or shared ownership and the last of the new tenants are due to move in by the end of the month.