Chatteris councillors demand work to clear footpath along busy London Road

A town council is writing to the local highways authority demanding action over a footpath along a busy road.

Chatteris Town Council discussed the missing footpath along London Road between Sutton Gault and the Seasons Garden Centre at their meeting on Tuesday.

Clerk Joanna Melton said there had been a request for a pathway but the council had missed the boat when it came to making a local highways initiative bid because the deadline had now passed, and the council had submitted a bid for safety improvements on New Road.

Cllr Linda Ashley said that when plans had gone in for the garden centre, which opened in August 2022, there had been a request then to include a footpath, but she said it had somehow “got missed off”.

Mayor Cllr Anne Hay said there used to a footpath along that area but it had become so overgrown it was no longer visible, and she suggested writing to Cambridgeshire County Council to get it cleared.

Cllr Sharon Selman said: “That part of the road is really fast – while I have been out delivering the town guide down there the cars have come zooming past – it really is quite frightening.”

She said mothers with prams regularly walk that way and it is very dangerous.

Cllr James Carney suggested the county council should take action as they are always trying to encourage more people to cycle and walk, but people need safe pathways if they are going to get out and about.

It was unanimously agreed to write to Cambridgeshire County Council asking them to clear the path so it can be used.