Cambridgeshire Council Seeks Urgent Meeting Over Persistent Bridge Flooding

Cambridgeshire County Council has announced its request for an urgent discussion with the Environment Agency concerning a location prone to frequent flooding. The vicinity of Little Paxton Bridge on Mill Lane, situated close to St Neots, has experienced inundation for the third occasion this year, notwithstanding recent maintenance efforts. A resident from the locality expressed the view that the issue required resolution “once and for all”. Alex Beckett, a Liberal Democrat and the chair of the council’s highways and transport committee, stated that he, along with council leader Lucy Nethsingha, had initiated the request for the meeting. Mr. Beckett indicated that a highways team had inspected the location and intended to evaluate the road’s surface after the floodwaters had subsided. He commented, “It’s incredibly frustrating that the flooding at this location is happening more and more and so soon after our recent repairs.” David Rennie, a resident of Little Paxton, voiced his dissatisfaction regarding funds allocated for the renovation of Market Square in St Neots, suggesting that something “constructive” was required for the bridge instead. The 77-year-old individual mentioned that he and his neighbors were compelled to undertake a four-and-a-half-mile detour (7.2km/h) to access the supermarket whenever the bridge was inaccessible. He informed the BBC, “I have always seen this place flooded.” He added, “We need to get this place sorted out once and for all.” During the previous instance of damage to the road by the River Great Ouse, the surface was removed, exposing the original cobbles beneath. This year, the road has undergone repairs on two occasions, including in the previous month, at which time the road surface’s depth was augmented and a new kerb line was put in place. The most recent measurement of the river level registered 1.43m (4.7ft) – occurring five days after Storm Bert reached the area. The typical range for this level is between 0.82m and 1.1m. Stephen Ferguson, the independent county councillor representing the local area, stated that “repeated failure is simply not good enough”. He remarked, “The amount of disruption is enormous. We need to look into more permanent solutions.” He continued, “Whether it’s looking at containment of the river or raising of the roads something clearly has to be done now.” The Environment Agency, which holds responsibility for flood management, confirmed that it had received a request for a meeting with the county council to address the flooding situation. A spokesperson commented: “The road is at a high risk of flooding and we have seen frequent flooding at this location and would expect this to continue going forward.” The spokesperson further explained: “Highway roads, footpaths, drains and gullies are the responsibility of the local highway authority which sits within Cambridgeshire County Council, rather than the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency will however provide support to the council and provide input to any proposals developed to reduce the risk of flooding at this location.” For updates on Cambridgeshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.