Great Dunmow shopkeeper brands extended roadworks ban as ‘crazy’
Essex County Council - Credit: Archant
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.
You may also want to watch:
“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.
Most Read
- 1 Secretary of state to consider overturning Finchingfield houses approval
- 2 Covid-19 fast-testing centre opens in Uttlesford for asymptomatic residents
- 3 Villages around Great Dunmow covered in frost and snow
- 4 Uttlesford Covid case rates decline means they are now the lowest in Essex
- 5 Red engraved gem from iron ring is older than was previously thought
- 6 Beavers help with Finchingfield's 'worst flood in 20 years'
- 7 Dozens of illegal fishing nets and traps seized during pandemic
- 8 New Local Plan: 'Housing and transport should be planned together'
- 9 Seventh flood in Great Bardfield breaks pavement
- 10 Essex County Council approves council tax increase
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.
