Earlier today (Saturday 11 May) traffic control lights appeared, they sprang into action and yet again a ‘clear’ stretch of road became stop/go. Traffic movement on Bridewell St (A4) by The College all but stopped. And, as we experience on so many occasions, no holes in the road, no-one working, no apparent reason. Barriers, yes. Lights, yes. Workings in the road, no. Workmen, no. But major traffic hold-ups, queue of cars this morning back to the Manton turning on the A4 and just sitting in that queue adds ten, fifteen or even twenty minutes to a part of any journey which should take two or three. And, as ever, it’s Thames Water. See the last time this happened on the A4, less than a month ago.
Apparently Thames Water do have permission to disrupt Marlborough. See the attached screengrab (taken from the ‘one.network’ website) of the details for these works. It covers ‘Utility Repair and Maintenance Works’. But it doesn’t say anything about setting up lights to stop traffic just for the sheer hell of it. But, as we experience regularly, that’s what Thames Water do. In addition to their exploits dumping raw sewage into the Kennet and charging us all ridiculous amounts for the privilege of their incompetence and lack of concern for their customers.
We published a report on the times that Thames Water, and other contractors create chaos in Marlborough and surroundings and got fined for exceeding approval times etc. As the above panel shows, they have approval for today (11 May) and tomorrow, but will they have finished the ‘works’ before Monday?
Is this acceptable? Are Wiltshire Council happy for their customers to be inconvenienced in this way so often, for no apparent reason? That’s a question that can only be addressed by the Council, their elected representatives or staff but for us, who pay significant amounts in Council Tax every year/month, it’s a pertinent and ‘fit for purpose’ valid question.
So will these latest works be completed by tomorrow, Sunday 12 May? And did they actually do anything other than set up lights?
Welcome to Marlborough, the land where traffic grinds to a crawl…….
Introduction to our Neighbourhood Policing Team, led by Inspector Ben Huggins
