A WATER main discovered under the site of the controversial skatepark at Piggy's Hill means work on the project will be held up for up to three weeks.

A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said: "The contractors have now moved off site. We are working in conjunction with Welsh Water to resolve the water mains problem.

"While the protesters were on site we still had to pay £6,000 a week to the contractors who were waiting to start work. We will not have to pay that sum for the delay caused by the water mains because this is a planned delay."

Mike Moran, leisure and recreation nanager for Monmouthshire County Council, said: "We knew about the water main before the project started as we consulted all statutory bodies.

"A plan of the site looked like the pipe went round the edge of the site but in fact part of it cuts across where the skatepark will be.

"We plan to dig down and expose the pipe and then call in the services of Welsh Water. "We believe the whole task could take two to three weeks so sub-contractors and security guards are being sent from the site to keep down extra costs.

"We are hopeful that the costs can be met by a contingency plan already set down." Councillor Phil Hobson said: "We have been telling the council all along that there was a water main under there.

"This delay is a blessing in a way. It gives both sides a chance to cool off. While there is no getting away from the fact that work has started on the site we still have not given up hope of finding an alternative solution.

"I find it terribly sad to walk through that park now and to see it looking like a quarry." Gwyn Eburne, who chairs the planning committee, said: "It is not a necessary condition of planning approval to identify what utilities run underground.

"All the statutory bodies would have been consulted and given the chance to raise objections."

Protester Steve Champion said: "We have two barristers representing us. In our view a key issue is the legality of the proposed temporary access road to the park from Bulwark Road necessary for emergency vehicles.

"Contrary to what Elizabeth Raikes has said we believe that planning permission is required for that access and have approached the ombudsman to call for an investigation."

Construction of the skatepark was supposed to begin on August 18 but was delayed for six weeks as residents demonstrated their opposition to the project on safety grounds.

Work finally began two weeks ago after the council served injunctions on several protesters, ordering them to stay off the construction site.

Thirty protesters were moved from the site by police on September 26 and told they faced arrest if they re-entered the area.

Monmouthshire county council officers are due to reveal the costs incurred by six weeks of protest to elected members and the chief executive tomorrow.

Leisure and Recreation manager Mike Moran attended a meeting with the director of contractors, Blakedown Land-scapes, last Friday.

Mr Moran said: "It would be inappropriate to go public with the figures before telling the elected members but I can confirm that there are significant additional costs to cover as a result of the residents' protests."

Mr Moran revealed last week that the council is considering recovering the costs through legal action against the protesters.