Suffolk Highways on repairs in The Street in Aldham

Paul West, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for operational highways and flooding, and James Clements, assistant director of Highways Services, said they share residents' frustrations over The Street in Aldham when speaking to this newspaper.

It was announced on Monday that work that was due to start in The Street in the village near Hadleigh, had been pushed back due to birds that were found nesting in the bank. 

The road has been closed since November after it collapsed (Image: Suffolk Highways)

"It's six figures," said Mr West. "Just thinking about how much things cost.

"When I understood that I thought 'that's a lot', but when you work out what things cost these days you can quite easily get into six figures when you start looking at the work that needs to be done to make things safe."

Mr Clements added: "What we also have to do is when we leave the site and this is completed, that as far as we reasonably can that we are not affecting stuff downstream; we haven't made water run faster and erode the bank further down." 

A four metre collapse has been created following the collapse (Image: Suffolk Highways)

Suffolk County Councillor Paul West (Image: Suffolk County Council)

The latest delay has seen the work pushed back until September. 

Since the road closed in November, people living in the village have expressed their frustrations at the time repairs have taken. 

Mr West stated he shares those frustrations.

"I completely understand the frustration of people who live locally," he said. 

"There's nothing more than I want than to see the work complete. I have got zero interest in having it delayed. 

"The resource and team was lined up to do it week commencing July 15. 

"If I lived in the village, I would be joining in their frustration."