More on the Swanbach Floods

Swanbach Floods in 2020

Ed: This article thread illustrates the frustration Norman Huntbach, Chris Springs and others have in getting Cheshire East Highways to address major road safety issues at Swanbach over a long period of time. Please read from the bottom up

Dear Chris

Thank you for your understandable email, highlighting the regrettable culture of CEC of only rectifying/addressing rural highway issues when they are given little or no choice.

Last June Parish Councils in CE were presented with a price list for highway repairs, inviting them to pay again, for in effect the council to meet its duty of road safety and repair its asset; just four months after CEC cut the highway budget visibly by 2 million pounds in February 2021, a matter narrowly voted through by the current administration but only just!

There are many outstanding unanswered questions with 'the top up highway pilot' ie, it has been issued without any proper policy setting process; the timing of the 'highway repair price list' meant that Parish Councils had already set their budget for the year.

CEC has been in receipt of a 30K government Safer Roads Grant for their section of the A529 up to Audlem but continue to resist investing until Shropshire Council Close their section of the road to complete their share of the works and address the temporary lights matter. I finally have verbal agreement that works will be carried out in March 2022, but they are yet to be formally listed. I am also supported by my counterpart in Shropshire.

I fear the only way to get Cheshire East to act is to continue to report issues, point out just how much continual visits are costing the council along with the impact on road safety and residents.

I welcome your support Chris, suggest that those of us in receipt of your message meet at the site, potentially with a highways officer and Norman Huntbach; combined efforts are key in terms of getting action. I hope that in the future we can change the culture not least because you will understand, it is not easy to pen such a negative message about a council of which I am a member.

Kind regards

Rachel

Cllr Rachel Bailey

Dear Rachel & James

Forgive me for contacting you but as highlighted in the News Story in Audlem on Line today, we have a real issue with flooding on the A529 where it goes under the old Audlem Market Drayton Railway.

I first reported this to Cheshire East on the 16.02.2020 (and again today see picture) and their duty inspector did turn up to inspect the scene but nothing to address the route course of the issue had been done in the last one year & 9 months since then. Pumping the road is not a solution just a short term fix, the county council need to either dig out the drains (probably full of road silt) or simply use some modern no dig technology to drive a drainage pipe from there to Cox Bank Brook which can only about 500 yards away, it's not rocket science the Utilities use this technology all the time for installing new pipe lines.

As experienced councillors, with success in getting the flooded road into Cox Bank sorted a couple of years ago I wondered if you could advise me how we can get Cheshire East Highways Department to sort this matter quickly once & for all.

There is also a safety aspect to this as vehicles are diverting along Chapel Lane in Cox Bank which is single carriageway so vehicles travelling in opposite direction can't get passed each other and the lane then becomes blocked, it is also dangerous for the residents when walking as there are no pavements & the people diverting come rushing past at what is simply a dangerous speed for the road conditions.

Kind regards & I look forward to hearing what you suggest to make the Council take this seriously

Chris Spring

Dear Sir
In support of Norman Huntbach, here is the same view as the one you published today but taken on 16th Feb 2020, that's one year & nine months earlier & Cheshire East have failed to do anything about in this period although they are well aware of it.

Perhaps Councillor Craig Browne would like to comment, especially as this a main A road on which the council are supposedly focusing, but I doubt that he will !!

Regards Chris Spring