Traffic delays but little sign of actual work

I AM writing to update readers with the reason for the traffic chaos that was caused on the A47 Hinckley Road in Leicester Forest East on September 14 and 15.

Severn Trent was permitted by Leicestershire County Council to partially close the road.

Seven Trent set up the four-way traffic light system on the afternoon of the 14th, which was activated and left running over night.

Bear in mind, no work was started on site until Tuesday morning, during the rush peiod.

The absence of workers, leaks, machinery, holes or other obstacles that would cause any danger to traffic or pedestrians meant closing a 100 metre section of the carriageway so far in advance was totally unnecessary.

Area Traffic Control first tweeted on Tuesday at noon about the traffic chaos and finally advised on Tuesday at 3.45pm that the lights had been removed.

So what was all the fuss about? No work was carried out on the carriageway that necessitated a closure.

The only evidence any work has actually been completed are a few spray painted blue lines and a metre square of new tarmac on a resident’s driveway.

I think Severn Trent and Leicestershire County Council should review their policy re road closures and essential works.

Jimmy Mitchinson, Leicester Forest East

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING? Four-way traffic lights in Leicester Forest East caused delays but did not produce much result, according to a reader

population and need to be considered very seriously.

As you will see from this letter, it makes Rutland people angry lest our county, its inhabitants and their needs are simply forgotten or dismissed.

Release of the pre-consultation business case (PCBC) on September 1 was a key moment. For the first time the details of the proposals were available to Rutlanders.

Rutland Health & Social Care Policy Consotium is a group of Rutlanders experienced in working in and with the NHS.

We are setting out below our initial comments. We anticipate making more detailed comments at a later date.

After six years of planning, it is disappointing the proposals are largely limited to reconfiguration of Leicester hospitals.

Their main focus is the closure of all beds at Leicester General Hospital with maternity moving to a greatly expanded maternity hospital at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

There is one proposal to retain a midwife unit at the General for a period of 12 months but to shut it if births do not reach 500 in the first year.

Reassuringly, and reflecting the National Long Term Plan, LLR have separately stated their intention to keep care as close as possible to home.

No proposals are put forward for compensating services within Rutland. Instead the document does say that in terms of transport the whole of Rutland will be disadvantaged by these proposals.

We would urge the CCGs, even at this late hour, to bring forward proposals for community services, including for Rutland Memorial Hospital.

Indeed, Rutlanders feel so strongly about the need for a whole system approach that in September 2019 a group of about 100 met in Oakham and mapped out A Health Plan for Rutland and sent it to you.

This plan closely reflects government policy as outlined in the National Long Term Plan and includes modernising of facilities at Rutland Memorial.

It recognises acute and community care are flip sides of the same coin and strengthened primary and