Road gates plan sparks cash row
Council baulks at cost of Watery Gate ‘gates’ plan
THE borough council has refused to pay the “excessive” costs of installing gates to stop drivers getting stuck in a flooded road.
The £65,000 manual fixtures will still be installed on Watery Gate Lane, near Thurlaston, which often becomes impassable during heavy rain.
The fire service was called out 10 times between 2014 and 2018 to rescue stranded drivers.
Blaby District Council has agreed to cover 25 per cent of the costs but Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has declined to pay for the rest, leaving Leicestershire County Council to cover the remainder.
Councillor Stuart Bray, leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, said: “This is a highways matter and as the authority with responsibility for highway safety for this area, we would expect Leicestershire County Council to secure whatever works are required for the safe passage of vehicles through this hotspot for flooding.
“As they take the lion’s share of the council tax collected from residents, I think it is appropriate they fund this scheme.
“A number of people have commented to me that the cost of providing a couple of gates seems excessive, especially when common sense should tell drivers not to drive through Watery Gate when in flood. In our opinion it would not be good use of pressured taxpayers’ funds.”
Councillor Sharon Coe, the portfolio holder for health, wellbeing and regulatory services at Blaby District Council, said: “This small one-off capital investment is an effective measure to help safeguard Blaby residents and others from surrounding areas.
“We are confident the new gates will also ensure our local authority partners, including the fire and rescue service, will no longer need to rescue vehicles from this area, allowing them to utilise their resources in the places where they are most needed.”
Three options were explored. Option one involved installing an electronic warning sign which would cost £35,000. Option two, with a £37,000 price tag, was additional flip down warning signs that would be operated by the local parish flood warden.
The third, and chosen option, was to install gates at each junction.
A Blaby District Council report outlining the reasons that action is required states that the approximate cost for a fire service call out is £500 and £180 to £200 for highways, but the costs can vary.
County Hall cabinet member for transport Councillor Blake Pain said: “Motorists have been ignoring warning signs and too often trying to cross the ford on Watery Gate Lane when the water levels have risen.
“We are grateful for the support from Blaby District Council and working with them and the local flood warden to support the fire service we are confident these gates will act as more of a deterrent.”