WORKERS for Devon County Council will just have to take the rough with the smooth.
When building a granite trough island as part of road improvements in Bovey Tracey's Dolphin Square, they put the blocks in the wrong way around.
Instead of the rough edge of the granite being to the outside, it ended up smooth side out.
After the mistake was spotted, town clerk, Terry Westwood spoke to local services group highways officer, Derek Moss to point out the error.
Mr Moss had responded by saying that when he saw the blocks originally they were going in the right way around, but when he visited the site he found they were wrong.
'It appears the craftsmen employed were not able to match the mortar to the brickwork,' Mr Westwood told Monday's Bovey Tracey Town Council meeting.
Cllr Anna Klinkenberg then queried: 'What skill is required to put the mortar to brick the right way around, or the wrong way around.'
Cllr David Elphick then relayed the pattern of events when he visited Dolphin Square.
'I asked who was responsible for the trough and told them it was the wrong way around.
'One of them replied no it isn't, but other people have said that.
'He said he could not get enough mortar on there to hold it in place, and the mortar was the wrong colour.
'They seemed to be totally unable to grasp what I was getting at. They said you will have to get in touch with us officially, and I replied that I would,' said Cllr Elphick.
The council is asking the local services group to put the trough right.
Square bollards with a pyramid top are to go around the extended footpath as part of the improvements at the Dolphin Square junction with Station and Newton roads.
The Malaysian timber bollards will bear two blue and gold reflective strips.
Deputy mayor, Cllr David Risdon asked why English oak had not been used, and was told that the price of the bollards, about £30 each, came within Devon Highways budget.
Devon County Council this week promised to remove the granite blocks and put them back as originally proposed.