WORCESTER’S riverside has been blocked off once again while a new system which will use water from the river Severn to heat and cool the library and history centre is installed.

A section of the North Quay has been shut off to the public for 12 weeks while the work takes place meaning people will have to walk along Grandstand Road in order to get to Sabrina Bridge or Croft Road.

It is another inconvenience for residents and tourists wanting to walk along Worcester’s jewel in the crown as regeneration work between the South Quay fountains and the Worcester-Birmingham canal in Diglis is still going on.

Builders and engineers had wanted to start the work on North Quay before now but had to delay it because the Environment Agency was concerned about the impact the work would have on fish spawning in the spring.

Chris Winwood, managing director of Worcester River Cruises, said: “The timing of the work is unfortunate but I don’t think it will have any impact on our business.”

Staff at Café Loco, which is located directly next to the site where the work is taking place, declined to comment other than to say they are still open for business.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said: “The work will take 12 weeks and contractors are currently constructing safety fences around the area of work which means the footpath will be closed for 12 weeks.

“All the statutory authorities have been consulted and the contractor has also been liaising with the boat owner and also the owner of the café.

“We are constructing a six-metre chamber which will pump water from the river and go through a heat exchanger which allows separate water circuits in the building to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer.

“We are avoiding disturbance to Croft Road and the car park by using directional drilling which means the pipes are placed under ground without disturbing the car park or highways.

“Whilst we are extracting water from the river we are also going to be returning water to the river, pumped back through the same place. Studies have shown that this has no effect to river ecology.”

The water cooling/heating system is all part of the £60 million library and history centre called The Hive which is due to open in July next year.