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Middle Level Barrier Bank Works 2017


page created 9th July 2017; last updated Saturday, 15 July 2017
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  • Site contents & index
  • page contents
  • Introduction
  • Truck traffic
  • Footpath closures
  • EA Documents library
    • 2015 Nov project briefing
    • 2016 Nov drop-in-events
    • Bank Works FAQs
    • 2017 Mar project update
    • 2017 May public-notice
    • 2017 Jun newsletter

Introduction

The Environment Agency (EA) have appointed civil engineering company Jackson to undertake major improvement to the Middle Level Barrier Bank (MLBB) over a three year period starting in July 2017.

The MLBB is the high bank between the two rivers - the Old Bedford and Delph - on the west side of the Ouse Washes. It stretches from Earith to Welmore Lake. Its purpose is to ensure that floodwater is held within the Washes and does not flow onto the land on which the majority of the parish of Welney is situated.
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Truck traffic

There will be up to 80 loads of clay brought by truck to the Old Bedford Bridge every working day between 7am and 6pm from 16th July to 31st October 2017. Thats 12,000 trips in 15 weeks, about one every 4 minutes.
The trucks will then turn onto the haul road alongside the bank running to Welmore Lake

The original plan was to source clay from Wimblington and route the trucks through Tipps End and New Road. That plan was scrapped on 10th July following comments from parishioners who pointed out:
  • that the route through Tipps End is narrow and twisting with some deceptively soft verges which have caused trucks to slide off the road into ditches (photo evidence supplied of two instances near Pear Tree Cottage).
  • that trucks rounding the blind bend at Hurn Drove would pose a danger to children walking in the road (no pavement) going to and from the playing field
  • that it will soon be harvest time with combines, tractors and trailers around.
These are the only comments I know about - there may have been others.

EA told me on 6th July they had not been approached by Welney Parish Council. I'm sure many will find it astonishing that Welney's councillors either didn't read the documents sent to them, or were unnable to understand the implication, or simply don't care about those they are supposed to represent.

The EA will now source the majority of the clay from Mepal and route the trucks via the A142/A10 and Suspension Bridge thus avoiding central Welney and Tipps End. However it may still be necessary to route a small number of loads through Welney - the EA said it would be "kept to a minimum".

Footpath closures

Paths on/along the bank and haul roads will be closed, not just for the 15 weeks, but for more than three years, with different alternatives for summer and winter. See below. footpath-closures

 
   
Acknowledgements:
Sources as noted.
Text, design and layout: Peter Cox
© 2017 Welney Website


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