It might seem odd that empty utility pipes are being laid under the lanes of alleys of St. George?s during ongoing re-paving and road bricking work in the town.

But it is a prudent move to keep one step ahead of the game and ensure that, should a new utility or cable service arrive it will not be necessary to dig up the neatly finished and restored streets again.

Since the mid-1990s the town?s narrow streets and lanes have, one-by-one, been dug up and re-paved to create a more old world feel to the World Heritage Status town.

As each lane is done the underground water system is inspected and repaired where necessary and overland electricity and telephone wires and cable TV wires are being buried in utility pipes to lessen their impact on the town scene.

The re-paving work is a joint project by the Corporation of St. George and the St. George Foundation.

Foundation chairman Henry Hayward said: ?One by one we are going around the back alleys bricking them and making them more attractive. We are on the sixth or seventh now, depending on whether you count Water Street as one or two projects as we did that street in two parts.?

The idea is to eventually have all the town?s roads and lanes brick paved apart from the main traffic thoroughfares.

Fundraising by the Foundation has provided the money for the work, and the Corporation has provided the manpower and the co-ordination.

As each alley and lane is dug up the utilities are laid and checked, including a spare utility pipe that can be used, should it be needed, by a future utility supply without the street needing to be dug up again.

?We are working with Belco, Telco and CableVision to put their wires and transformer boxes below the street in a pipe. We are taking up the asphalt covering of the road, checking the sewage lines and if necessary repairing them and then laying the new pipes,? said Mr. Hayward.

One of the problems the town has faced is the relatively small water tank size of the buildings due to the way St George was constructed. With the advancement of time and the increasing demand for water for household appliances it is now prudent for the town to lay water pipes that will eventually be connected up with a Government fresh water supply.

Similarly Mr. Hayward sees the eventual redevelopment of the former Club Med hotel as linking in with the town?s underground utility infrastructure.

One of the biggest projects still to be tackled is the brick re-paving of the main Square, but that too will eventually be completed when funds and manpower allow.

Mayor Mariea Casey and Corporation of St. George project foreman Shanon Outerbridge along with Mr. Hayward have carried out an inspection of how the latest work in Broad Alley and Church Lane is progressing.

At a public meeting attended by more than 100 residents at Pennos Wharf, Ms Caisey also hinted that a form of paid parking could arrive in the town soon to give the Corporation a revenue boost to help pay for further projects.

And she reported that the stocks and pillars in the Square had been mostly restored to their best condition.