The true cost of Kingston’s Market Place revamp is still not known - but yet more works are now in the pipeline. 

Kingston Council is still negotiating with contractors Balfour Beatty over the final bill, rumoured to be more than the original £3m budget after the project overran.

Now Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis said it is “almost certain” new canopies will have to be installed on the new stalls, while some of the new paving has been stained and will need to be restored.

Coun Davis said: “We will have to make it as good as we can.

“The current stalls are spreading themselves out too much, as they haven’t got any cover under the current awnings.

“We are going to have to deep clean [the paving] and seal it to try and stop the nastiness of it.”

Opposition leader Liz Green said: “I was disappointed with the staining on the blocks.

“I was told it wasn’t supposed to be sealed.

“I think it looks an awful lot better than what was there.”

The Ancient Market Place reopened in May - almost two months later than initially scheduled - amid builders and diggers still rushing to get work finished.

Surrey Comet: Kingston's ancient market place will partly re-open on Monday

Work to complete the Market Place overran by almost two months

Builders worked overtime and at weekends to speed up the project - at extra cost. 

Coun Green, then leader of the council, said whoever was at fault for the overrun would foot the bill for the extra work, but that a final cost was "months down the line". 

Last week it was announced the Ancient Market Place had been shortlisted in the Great British High Street Awards.