Chaos roadworks around Cassiobury Circle shops that dragged on months past the initial completion date "should have been managed better" by Hertfordshire County Council.

The works along Langley Way and Cassiobury Drive to improve safety for cars parking at the shops and children walking to the nearby Cassiobury schools were scheduled to take four months, but an unexpected service line was found just as work was starting.

Councillor Mark Watkin said the county council’s efforts to get engineers from the utility company on site were not good enough and resulted in months of delays.

But Hertfordshire County Council said they do not have statutory powers over utility companies.

The roadworks were completed at the end of last month - almost three years since plans were drawn up.

He said businesses along Cassiobury Drive were badly affected by barriers placed along the road, despite none of the work being carried out during that time.

Councillor Watkin, who represents Nascot ward, said the county council allowed timescales to be dictated by the utility company and failed to take control of the works.

He said: "It was badly managed all the way through. The county council did not get a grip and allowed itself to be led by the utility company.

"The county council should have managed the project more thoroughly, rather than leaving it to the point of chaos.

"Everyone in the community - shopkeepers, residents, people trying to walk by the shops - were massively inconvenienced by this failure for a very long time."

Councillor Watkin said the county council should have properly examined the area and noted where all the gas, electric and water services were before starting the work.

He continued: "Everything just ground to a halt, for months and months - it was absurd.

"Whilst there was this hiatus, the place was in chaos, there were barriers outside the shops which prevented people parking or easily accessing the businesses. The shop keepers took a real hit.

"There was almost a feeling the works would never be finished. There was no energy behind the project.

"Only in the last week was there real activity - it seemed as though half the job was done that week."

Park ward campaigner Anne Rindl asked if the county council would compensate the businesses.

She said: "When I meet residents their major concern has been this project.

"I have reported this back to Hertfordshire Highways but they have shown no interest in my complaints. The local businesses have lost massive amounts of business.

"Will the county council do anything to recompense them?"

Terry Douris, cabinet member for Highways, said: "We appreciate the frustration of residents and traders over the delay for this scheme, but this was caused by factors outside our control – namely some unmapped gas pipes underground which had an impact on the planned improvements.

"Once negotiations between the utility companies involved with this issue had concluded, our contractor Ringway returned to the site and completed the outstanding works as scheduled."