CONSTRUCTION work on Basingstoke's £300 million town centre redevelopment is running behind schedule due to the recent bad weather.

Work at Festival Place has suffered following the heavy rain and strong winds, with estimates suggesting three days' work have been lost - at a cost of £100,000.

Bosses at developers Grosvenor admitted there have been "unavoidable delays" but were unable to say how much time the weather had set them back.

A Grosvenor spokeswoman said: "The adverse weather has caused some disruption in brickwork, painting and waterproofing the concrete car park decks. We are doing everything we can to alleviate the problems. We are working longer hours when the weather is good and tenting areas where possible so that work can continue under cover.

"However, high winds have made tenting difficult and have also delayed some craning operations. We are taking all possible measures to keep Festival Place to schedule and despite the weather we are accelerating work to recover the unavoidable delays."

More than 300 men, earning about £100 to £150 per day, are reported to be working on the Festival Place development, which is due to open in autumn 2002.

Two months ago Grosvenor postponed the opening of the development's northern car park which would have provided extra spaces - until the end of January after originally promising to open it on December 18.

Basingstoke councillor and leader of the borough's new cabinet system Brian Gurden said he was not too surprised at the delays.

He said: "I would have been amazed if the development was bang on schedule given the awful weather we've had of late.

"This is a very big project and we are at the beginning of that project. What does matter is whether we are on time later on in 2002 when it is due to open."