Welwyn Hatfield councillor attacks ‘indifferent’ highways contractor
Brockswood Lane (before) - Credit: Archant
A long-running war of words between a councillor and county highways contractor Ringway reignited over a flooded road last week.
Brockswood Lane (after) - Credit: Archant
Lib Dem county and borough councillor Malcolm Cowan slammed what he called “Ringway’s seeming indifference to faults”, as he berated the firm for failing to sort out deluged Brockswood Lane, in Welwyn Garden City. Cllr Cowan said: “On February 14, I reported the flooding in the country part of Brockswood Lane, by the golf course.
cllr Malcolm Cowan - Credit: Archant
“There is a dip and nowhere for the water to go.
Fence posts in Lemsford Lane - Credit: Archant
“I told them [Ringway] they needed to cut a small channel, known as a ‘grip’, through the earth bank to let the water away – a few minutes work.
“I was astonished to receive back a reply on February 17 stating ‘any repairs required have now been carried out. No further action is planned at the present time’.
You may also want to watch:
“I knew nothing had been done, as photos [I took] before and after are the same.”
He said the “same story applies across a range of problems – potholes, and even removing a dangerous piece of fence on the verge opposite Stanborough School in Lemsford Lane”.
Most Read
- 1 COVID-19: Welwyn Hatfield tops Hertfordshire for cases per 100,000
- 2 Mum-of-four loses six stone in just over a year after being unable to play with her youngest child
- 3 Police attend funeral as residents voice concerns about 'social distancing'
- 4 More than 20 arrested following major Welwyn Hatfield county lines drugs operation
- 5 Coroner rules Joy Morgan death 'unlawful killing' but finds no cause at inquest
- 6 Man sentenced to three years in prison for breaking girlfriend's jaw
- 7 Golf club has dozens of buggy batteries stolen in one day
- 8 'Horrific' abuser who 'showed no remorse' sentenced
- 9 COVID-19 outbreaks now in half of all Herts care homes
- 10 Bank becomes latest to be lost from town centre
Matthew Kelley, Ringway’s divisional manager, hit back and said: “Normally we would cut a grip, a short channel, to allow for the dispersion of any water collecting in an area such as this, but the site’s location in deep dip between two embankments means this is not possible.
“Water drained through a grip would run onto the adjacent golf course and cause damage to private property.
“Our work crews have instead employed a gully cleanser to pump water away and in addition have cut channels into the embankment alongside the road to allow water to dissipate.”
