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For more than 3 years we have been trying to get something done about
our “Wet Spot” 2 near the speed bump on Fifield Road near Longlea
Nursing Home. The inertia has been staggering !
A year ago at our AGM Mr Hanif Baksh, Streetcare's flood risk engineer at
the time, told us that an application had finally been made for capital
funding for necessary ditching work. In January this year we learned that
the application had been successful, but it's been impossible to get any
indication of when this work might be carried out.
Councillor Coppinger has been very helpful by regularly requesting updates
from Streetcare. He pointed out that the Highways and Engineering
Newsletter included a scheduled item ... "Fifield Road – drainage
improvements – Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th April".
When the appointed time came and went I tried to discover from Streetcare
what had gone wrong and was told that work needed to be "prioritised". I
tried to get this clarified by asking if that meant that the approved funding
had been "re-directed" and applied elsewhere. "Absolutely not" I was told,
"the funding is approved for this particular project and cannot be redirected
elsewhere."
But still no action or indication of an appointed date.
Then later in the year some re-surfacing work to repair water damage at the
speed bump looked as if it had also included the drainage work. We came
close to cheering ! But it transpired that all they had done was scrape some
silt out onto the verge. This seemed very meagre and inadequate and
certainly not worthy of "capital funding". When I followed up I was assured
that this was only a temporary measure and not the final job. But still no
scheduled date for the work.
As we enter Autumn again I have once more tried to obtain information but
all I can get is "before the end of the year". This could make a fair basis for
a script for "Carry on Ditching" !
The other item we have been struggling with this year is our “Wet Spot” 4 in Coningsby Lane. I have again failed to progress this project because of
an assertion that there was never a ditch following the route that needs to
be re-established. Despite the fact that I have provided photographic
evidence of the existence of this ditch dating from the mid 1980s Streetcare
are extremely nervous of committing themselves in case this continues to
be challenged by a local resident.
I was told in the Spring that a new drainage consultant was to be appointed
to continue on from the work of Mr Baksh who no longer works for
Streetcare. I have been promised that this matter will be included in his
Wet Spots in our villages - progress in 2013
brief, along with the other "wet spots" in our report. I've been promised
contact details but am told that no appointment has been made yet and it is
uncertain when this might happen.
We have been able to carry out some minor works in Coningsby Lane
thanks to the generosity of Paul and Simon Rinder of Stroud Farm. They
kindly carried out some ditching work for us opposite the cottages at the
eastern end of the Lane. It remains to be seen if this will improve the
situation. We were able to persuade Highways to allow us to repair the
ruined verge at the same time to make it possible for residents of the
cottages to park their vehicles sensibly once more. Most residents were
very grateful for this.
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