WORK in the Square in Petersfield has finally finished, but now county council contractors are taking up vital town centre car parking spaces to store equipment.

The contractors should have finished by the end of October but, due to a ÒblunderÓ over materials, it continued for an extra month.

Now the work has stopped until January and contractors are storing equipment and materials in the Castle Yard car park off Swan Street.

This has put 10 spaces are out of action, doing little to help shoppers park during the busy Christmas period.

An East Hampshire District Council spokesperson said the council has allowed the contractors to use the car park for storage but will be meeting county officers next week to discuss an alternative site and they confirmed that they have had complaints about the situation.

Traders were up in arms at the end of October after they were told that the planned works to improve the centre of Petersfield were weeks behind schedule and would drag on into the Christmas period.

Town centre improvement works are set to start again in mid-January when work, carried out by Hampshire County Council, will begin on the High Street.

The work will include narrowing the road at certain points and widening the footpaths and introducing two new courtesy crossings.

Work on traffic calming measures in Hylton Road is due to begin in the Spring next year. The new measures are being introduced as part of the proposed 20mph zone for the townÕs historic core.

The measures are intended to improve conditions for pedestrians especially children at both Petersfield Infant School and ChurcherÕs Junior School.