Work on the £4.6m redevelopment of Great Yarmouth Market has been hit by a delay due to problems with availability of goods and services.

The project’s construction team say they are "experiencing unforeseen challenges" in line with national HGV driver shortages and supply chain issues caused by Brexit.

Contractors say they are "working proactively and diligently to ensure these issues cause as little disruption as possible" and say there has also been a knock-on effect on the building schedule creating a delay for market traders to start moving into new units.

Councillors Carl Smith and Trevor Wainwright, leaders of the main political groups, said: “While exceptional progress has been made on the building of the new six-day market, we want to keep disruption for the market traders to a minimum and to ensure they can trade in a safe and secure environment with all operational facilities in place.

"The delay is regrettable but unavoidable at this stage and we are working hard to get the schedule for the completion of the project back on track for a Spring date.

“We’re pleased with how the whole project is progressing and can see already how it will create a brighter, more inviting market in the heart of our historic market place."

Work, funded by Great Yarmouth Borough Council began in April 2021 with additional finance secured by the council from the Future High Streets Fund.

The new frame is now complete while work on individual units has started with floor slabs and services being installed.

However, the construction team has experienced issues with manufacturing delays and access to materials leading them to look again at some elements of the building, including sourcing a new supplier for its bifold doors.

While a solution has potentially been found, new material will need to be trialled before ordering, which will take place in the next two weeks along with the installation of doors.

To avoid disruption to Christmas trade, the council has allowed market traders to stay in their current places until after the festive shopping season.

Traders have also been invited to a site visit to see the units for themselves as soon as they are complete and have been told that no rent will be chargeable for the month of January 2022.