HISTORIC cobbles are being taken up as part of a revamp of Beverley's historic market place.
But they will not be missing for long.
East Riding Council had intended to permanently remove almost all the stone setts in Saturday Market but public pressure forced a rethink.
Now, the stones will be re-laid by hand as part of the £2,650,000 renovation.
Nigel Leighton, director of environment and neighbourhood services at East Riding Council, said: "Maintenance works in Saturday Market are progressing as planned and the council and its contractor are now moving on to the first phase of works that incorporate the setts.
"A raised table will be installed near to Old Waste, opposite the Market Cross, and will require some of the setts to be taken up, as agreed with both English Heritage and the Beverley Civic Society in January.
"These setts will be taken up by hand and kept in storage to be utilised later in the project to replace any setts that are severely worn or damaged.
"The scheme was amended at the beginning of the year, following discussions with the civic society and English Heritage, to include the setts and will see the setts between the Market Cross and Toll Gavel taken up by hand and re-laid to provide a more level surface.
"As part of the current phase, a small length of about 15m of setts will be excavated and relaid. This will be carried out early to mid- August. This will allow traffic to use this area while construction of the area east of Market Cross can take place.
"The remainder of the setts will be taken up and relaid between October this year and February next year."
The retention of the setts was hailed as a victory by those who had campaigned against their removal.
East Riding Council has treated the Saturday Market scheme as simple maintenance and so the plans did not go before a planning committee for approval.
It said the setts had to be removed to make it easier for people to walk in the town centre.
But it was revealed that English Heritage had advised against the setts' removal and there was a groundswell of opinion resulting in protesters marching on county hall.
The council at first refused to budge but then delayed the setts removal for more consultation before, eventually, agreeing that the cobbles would stay.
On its website, the Save Our Setts campaign group said: "We have to be thankful that unlike so many councils in this country, East Riding Council listened to its residents and reacted appropriately."
Campaigners, though, have been less impressed after seeing the work done on the surface surrounding the grade one-listed Market Cross.
One of the leaders of Save Our Setts, Adrian Stokes of York Road, Beverley, said: "They're making a mess of the market place.
"Why on earth should it just be an advertisement for paving products?"
Mr Stokes's disappointment is compounded by the fact that public feeling stirred up by the cobbles issue could not be maintained to combat other council decisions he feels strongly about.
In a joint statement with Beverley Action co-founder Richard Armstrong, he said: "We had intended SOS would be the first of many such actions designed to help save Beverley from the various inappropriate and ill-considered schemes being foisted on the town by developers, aided by East Riding Council.
"We envisaged Beverley Action as an umbrella to unite different groups in the town and take the fight to the council, as we did on the setts. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find common cause with them so, rather than muddy the waters, we've decided to step aside."
