Calls for street lighting amid drug dealing fears on unlit Chatteris road

A councillor is backing calls from residents living along a private road to have street lights installed with the help of council funding.

Councillor Ken Perrin urged fellow members of Chatteris Town Council to get behind the residents of Dock Road and put in a Local Highway Initiative (LHI) bid for the lighting.

He acknowledged it was a “contentious” issue as Dock Road is unadopted.

But he said the street is in “absolute” darkness at night and he said residents living along the road were worried about issues such as drug dealing, and anti-social behaviour encouraged by the lack of lighting.

He said the road is also subject to speeding, and drivers using it as a cut-through to access the A142.

At last night’s council meeting, he produced a petition signed by 32 residents from Dock Road – practically the whole street having backed the call.

Councillors acknowledged the lack of lighting in Dock Road was a problem, but pointed out they had made attempts to get lights down there in the past and failed.

However, they agreed to consider the idea for the council’s annual LHI bid alongside any other suggestions forthcoming.

Council chair Anne Hay urged members to consider other ideas for the LHI after town clerk Joanna Melton said: “It is getting to that time of year when the county’s highways will be asking us to put in our bid. It is not urgent right now, so we have some time for people to come up with ideas.

“Any ideas do need to have public backing, that can be demonstrated, like Cllr Perrin has done with his Dock Road petition.”

Cllr Perrin also suggested issues of speeding along Station Street and Station Road should be looked at producing another petition with 59 signatures.

He said residents in that area were concerned about the speeding made all the more dangerous because of the day nursery located along there with young children coming and going.

Councillor Alan Gowler agreed Station Street and Station Road were an issue and said he was planning to suggest a scheme for that area too.

He was also concerned about the stretch along the A142 from the Wenny Road junction up to the Slade End roundabout, he was particularly concerned with the New Road junction and suggested that should also be considered for an LHI and vowed to seek public backing for it, with the potential to work up some kind of joint scheme with Manea Parish Council.

Another suggestion for a potential scheme was Alan’s Yard put forward by Councillor Matthew Siggee, who worried about the safety of students from Cromwell Community College.

It was agreed members should go away and come back with their suggestions with the relevant support to the council’s next planning meeting.