Notes from meeting on 15th June 2020
Congleton Link Road – GRAHAM
Held via video conference @ 11.00 am
Present – Cllr G Bell (representing Somerford), Cllr T Richardson (representing Hulme Walfield & Somerford Booths), Mrs K Marsh- Clerk, Mrs J Mason – Clerk, and Mr Dan Cawthra Stakeholder & Communications Officer for GRAHAM.
Apologies – Nil
DC is hoping to be back on site by July. He explained the difficulties they were having with social distancing.
Hulme Walfield
DC confirmed that the flooding issue that was reported at the junction on Smithy Lane will be progressed as soon as they are able. A digger is going to be going over as soon as they are safe to do so.
Giantswood Lane. The closure will be lifted by Friday 24th of July, possibly earlier.
Cllr Vic Brown has been in touch with DC regarding how public rights of way will be affected by the Link Road. There are some drawings which can be made available to the public which detail the route which is proposed. GB queried whether everything was as per the planning permission on the Cheshire East Council Planning Portal. DC confirmed that, as far as he was aware, nothing has been changed. It was more of a case of members of the public not being able to find where the information is located.
Somerford Parish
GB stated that the coronavirus lockdown had meant that the residents of Chelford Road had seen an increase in workforce journeys during the lockdown. DC went on furlough without notice to the residents and they didn’t have a line of communication to GRAHAM during this period. A complaint would like to be made about the handling of this.
GB reported that no notice had been given of the intention to move a large amount of material through the town, via Chelford Road, rather than over Dane Bridge, as they had expected. In ordinary times a newsletter would have been given to the residents with notice of this. DC will go back and get a full response from the project team.
There are now big holes appearing in the temporary carriageway on Chelford Road and adjacent to the carriageway. One particular hole is six to eight inches deep and half a metre diameter where the temporary carriageway meets Black Firs Lane. This particular hole needs some attention. DC will organise a colleague to go out and take a look. GB will send over some photos.
TR has noticed tarmac getting soft on Giantswood Lane and tractors are hurtling down and loosening the surface where the tarmac has started to melt in the hot weather. The road surface is going to be ripped up if drivers aren’t more careful. GB reported that, on the whole, the Morgan lorry drivers were driving carefully but the tractor drivers with bowsers on the back were driving too fast. DC will mention this with regard to training being put in place for drivers.
The opening date for the whole project is stated as the end of January 2021 but GB queried whether there was a target date for the reopening of Back Lane and the completion of Mainline 1. Once the two main roundabouts are completed DC will look into a completion date for that section. It is then up to Cheshire East when the road will be open to traffic. DC will query the date for the reopening of Back Lane.
GRAHAM were experiencing more issues of trespass on the site. A press release was to be issued about this.
GB stated he liked the new format of the newsletter but felt that it didn’t have as much content as previously. DC stated that the idea was to direct people to the detail on the website rather than have every detail on the newsletter.
GB queried whether there was a completion date for the overbridge of Chelford Road. DC will query the date of this.
DC confirmed that he will do a letter drop with the detail of when work is due to commence on Chelford Road overbridge that will be extremely noisy. The work is due to take place in August.
GB queried whether the water pumps on Chelford Road were necessary to be on 24/7, especially over the weekend. They are very noisy. DC will query whether they can be on a timer.
Meeting closed at 11.55 am