Great Dunmow shopkeeper brands extended roadworks ban as ‘crazy’

Overnight roadworks, already in place in 38 streets in Uttlesford, have caused considerable ­disruption to residents who have successfully campaigned for a public consultation about night-time working to re-open until October 31.

The ban would affect what ECC defines as “traffic-sensitive” streets. Following this ­designation, those streets would be allowed ‘non-emergency’ ­closings to happen at night time.

Affected streets in Dunmow would include Beaumount Hill, The Broadway, Dunmow Road and Market Place. Fourteen others in Dunmow would be susceptible to disruption by night-time construction.

Neil Henderson, 53, lives in Market Place above Banana Travel. “It sounds crazy,” he said. “At the end of the day we’ve got three bypasses in Dunmow already.

“About five or six years ago, the drainage system collapsed in Market Place and closed the road for a number of months – we managed fine then, so I don’t see why we wouldn’t now.

“I live here and the fact that they’re thinking of doing that is ridiculous. The whole way down here is residential – if it was a commercial lifeline I would understand, but it’s easy to get round here without closing the roads at night.”

The original consultation ran from June to August, but campaigners from WeAreResidents.org – the ­county’s independent community group – forced the county council to re-open the window for public objections, arguing the consultation documents were full of errors and poorly written, as well as badly advertised.

Deputy Mayor Barry Easter said: “If they absolutely have to do overnight roadworks – which I don’t think is always necessary – they need to put up better signs in the correct places.”

The public consultation runs until October 31. Anyone who wants to lodge a comment should email Highway.Enquiries@essex.gov.uk.