Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker told the leaders of the promenade scheme it is ’difficult’ to have confidence that the contractor, Auldyn, will finish it on time.

Minutes from a board meeting revealed the scheme is again behind schedule.

They also revealed that the promised March 31 date set down for the completion of this stage of the scheme ’had principally been decided upon in order to promote the tourist season’.

So it could be argued that the timetable was set for political or economic reasons rather than engineering ones.

The minutes say that there was ’unanimous disappointment that the programme has now slipped by nine days’, this was just one quarter of the way through the updated scheme.

The meeting took place on July 10 and the strategic board meeting’s minutes were made public a few days ago.

The minutes add: ’Nick Black [the Department of Infrastructure’s chief executive] stated this was unacceptable and he would also raise this issue at today’s meeting with the contractor [Auldyn].’

Mr Baker had ’expressed his overriding concern that, although the department had worked extremely hard to assist the contractor by removing as many constraints as possible, it was difficult to be confident about the contractor’s ongoing ability to deliver the programme on time’.

Director of highway services Jeff Robinson raised the possibility of Sunday working in order to bring the programme back on schedule, which Nick Black was due to raise with Auldyn.

Later in the minutes, it is said two representatives from Auldyn Construction, director Tadhg O’Mahony and managing director of Auldyn and Colas (IOM) Ltd, Clive Callister, were welcomed by Mr Black (DoI chief executive).

The possibility of Sunday working was raised by Mr Black, however Mr O’Mahony ’advised that the subcontractor was not agreeable to Sunday working, and that, with the limited staffing resources available, increased hours might in any case lead to a reduction in productivity’.

Mr O’Mahony told Mr Baker that ’the bulk of the delay has been caused by difficulties in more than one location with replacing service installations’.

The minutes say: ’He quoted the example of Broadway, where the extremely limited space for installation of the new main only became apparent once excavation had taken place.

’The Minister requested that these types of issues be communicated promptly to the public since, from a layman’s perspective, the reasons for delays are otherwise unclear.

’A further issue with moving kerb lines back to the footpath was mentioned by Mr O’Mahony and it was agreed this will be discussed at the meetings next week and appropriate media coverage arranged.’

It is later stated that an email was delivered to Mr Baker during the meeting asking about night shift working, but this was ruled out due to resources, noise and health and safety.

A spokesman for the DoI told the Examiner: ’The Department of Infrastructure is working with the contractor to deliver the scheme by March 31, 2021.

’Although it recognises that the scheme is one of the island’s most challenging civil engineering projects it remains committed to the aim of finishing the planned works in time for the next visitor season.’