Agenda item

Motion submitted by Councillor Mrs Laws on reducing the B1040 closure risk owing to flooding.

Councillor Mrs Laws presented a motion concerning reducing the B1040 closure risk owing to flooding, which was seconded by Councillor Boden.

Members made the following comments:

·       Councillor Nawaz referred to the state of some of the road connections in Whittlesey and he highlighted that the bridge has been operating a one lane system for well over a year and that was supposed to be the towns main arterial connection between the east and the west of Whittlesey. He explained that to the west is the transport hub of Peterborough, with journeys resulting in huge delays which he has also encountered and has had to allow extra time to make various trips to Peterborough. Councillor Nawaz expressed the view that the roads are riddled with potholes and likened some to the size of craters, resulting in many people suffering damage to their cars in various forms and costing residents hundreds of pounds. He referred to the point made by Councillor Mrs Laws concerning the socio-economic impact and, in his view, that point is very pertinent to the actual reality of todays problems with the roads. Councillor Nawaz thanked Councillor Mrs Laws for bringing forward such an important subject and he will wholeheartedly support the motion.

·       Councillor Boden stated that he is unaware whether residents in other parts of the district are aware of the frustration faced by the residents of Whittlesey after having to face almost 20 months of restricted movement on a bridge where initially the restriction was due to be for just over a week. He explained that there is also the perennial problem of the secondary option to travel towards Peterborough, the B1040, which closes on a quite frequent and unpredictable basis which is dependent on the flooding of the Whittlesey Washes, with some residents having reached the point of despair and have made the choice to move away from Whittlesey. Councillor Boden stated that with regards to the road repairs, it is a well-known fact that the County Council have not performed very well, and he would hope that the new Unitary Authority will do a better job under different control. He added that there are significant costs linked to the major infrastructure projects to improve road connectivity and it will take a long time to be delivered, making the point that the motion relates to something much more short term and it relates to the ability of getting the information which is required by local people to monitor if the sluice gates are working properly or not. Councillor Boden added that if it is then found that the sluice gates have not functioned properly then the Environment Agency can then be notified, explaining that there have been instances when they have not worked for days at a time and as has happened previously it results in the B1040 closing for more days than it needs to. He made the point that there needs to be better coordination with the Environment Agency, North Level Internal Drainage Board and the Highway Authorities in order that the traffic issues that exist in the Whittlesey Washes, because of water management in that area, are recognised and minimised. Councillor Boden expressed the view that the Environment Agency are stretched at the best of times and their focus moves from one thing to another and the idea of setting up a Whittlesey Washes Interest Group is to try and ensure that all those who have a part to play in keeping the B1040 open for as long as possible are able to communicate with each other and have some degree of common purpose.

The motion was approved.