Your letters on March Broad Street regeneration, drugs in Wisbech and roads
Regeneration, potholes and drugs are up for discussion in this week’s letters…
They missed an opportunity for March
Regarding The Broad Street Road Transformation Project in March being shortlisted for a national award, my opinion is:
Bus priority - no change to before;
New walking infrastructure - no change;
New cycle infrastructure - no change, and also missed a huge opportunity to have a wider road on Broad Street to incorporate a dedicated cycle lane;
Key junction upgrades - zebra crossings so close to the roundabout I’ve almost been run over twice;
Improved safety - cannot comment, but I don’t feel safer;
Accessibility - fewer disabled parking spaces than before. And electric cars are not welcome as there is absolutely nowhere in the town centre to charge your car;
Public space - the riverside space is absolutely nothing like the plans we were promised, and we are still awaiting the toilets.
Overall, whilst it might look nice, they missed an opportunity to provide a modern town fit for the future.
Latonya Ball
via email
Lost for words this could win an award
If you knew how vibrant Broad Street was with ample parking for the elderly and disabled and compare to what we have now, there is no comparison.
I am lost for words to think it could win an award.
Peter Johnson
Former March resident
Legalising cannabis would rid us of Fenland’s dealers
I would like to comment on two articles in last week’s Citizen:
The first was headed: ‘Speeding near schools, drugs and dangerous bike riders discussed’ in a report of the proceedings of the recent Wisbech Town Council.
The second was headed: ‘Man arrested after police bust cannabis factory’ in a report of the police finding a factory in Bridge Street, Chatteris.
It seems that the production and distribution of cannabis in Fenland continues to be a problem. It is also big business for organised crime and petty dealers.
I, too, have witnessed illegal drug dealing in Tillery Field at the bottom of Alexandra Road, Wisbech.
I recently told a policeman sitting in his car about drug dealing. The policeman replied that they know, but it is a matter of arresting petty dealers when they are caught in possession.
Cllr Steve Tierney, instead of criticising the police for their inaction, would be better off calling on our MP Steve Barclay to support the legal regulation of cannabis.
I’m not alone in calling for legal regulation, which has the support of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, and Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin group.
Legal regulation of cannabis would mean that cannabis would be made available in Fenland from independent shops, similar to vape shops, licensed by Fenland District Council.
This would take the production and distribution of cannabis out of the hands of organised crime and petty dealers.
It would, like vape shops, create jobs where employers and employees paid income tax and national insurance. Fenland District Council would also get income from business rates and licensing.
John Smithee
Wisbech
Roads are becoming so bad here
I'm concerned that patching potholes rather than repairing them properly is just a sticking plaster.
The roads around Fenland are deteriorating, subsiding and becoming so dangerous I believe we need to introduce speed restrictions.
The Forty Foot River is 50mph, however, it's deteriorated so badly we need a temporary 30mph speed restriction.
I believe Cambridgeshire County Council has failed its duty to maintain the road in a safe, serviceable condition, and it's directly/indirectly the cause of many road accidents.
The main cause of its deterioration was the raising of HGV weight restrictions to EU standards for foreign lorries on our road network.
They still haven't repaired the crater on the Peas Hill roundabout at March.
All we need is a motorbike to fall and lay across the roundabout and there will be trouble.
Mark Burton
Chatteris