Your Writtle, Roxwell and villages Lib Dem Campaigners

Stephen Robinson

Stephen Robinson was a Lib Dem parish councillor in Writtle 2002-08, and was local parliamentary candidate in May 2005.

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Phillip Evans

Phillip Evans is a parish councillor in Roxwell; former Chelmsford Borough Councillor for Roxwell, Highwood, Chignals, Good Easter & Mashbury and former County Councillor for the Broomfield and Writtle area.

Phillip Evans (left) and Stephen Robinson examine one of the open spaces threatened by housing because the Conservative Borough Council ditched the Liberal Democrat Borough Plan.

Angela Robinson and Jim Menown

Angela Robinson and Jim Menown are Lib Dem Parish Councillors in Writtle. Angela was elected in 2007 and Jim in 2002.

Angela and Jim are regular users of the Writtle-Chelmsford cycle route, agreed when the Lib Dems ran Chelmsford Borough Council. Since the Conservatives took over, no progress has been made on improving the bridge over the river in Lawford Lane.

Writtle Lib Dems have extracted a commitment from the Highways Department at Essex County Council to improve the maintenance of the Writtle to Chelmsford cycle path, and to review the gap between the staggered gates. The one behind the Old Chelmsfordians is so narrow that it is difficult to cycle through.

As you travel south to north over the river in Lawford Lane, there are two particularly large bumps on the ramp up. There also appears to be no regular maintenance schedule on the path: with the autumn leaf-fall it can be like an ice rink.

After much chasing, Stephen Robinson received the following email from the Highways Department:-

Subject: Various Highway Matters

From: John Dobinson Highways & Transportation

Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 12:31:50 +0100

Mr Robinson

I refer to your recent e mail, and am sorry that your earlier e mails have not been replied to. You used the correct e mail address, but I am afraid that it did not appear in the appropriate officers e mail box.

I will endeavour to answer your queries if I can, but I may need to arrange for further investigatory work, and to reply to you on some of the items later.

* The bridge over the River Can in Lawford Lane - I will get this looked at to see if it can be improved

* Foxburrow Lane - This is not public highway, although it is a public right of way for users on foot. I am afraid that I do not know the owner of the lane

* The village end of the cycle path in St. John's Road - It is our intention to make this section up later in the year. Although it is not a highway, it is a link through to the cycle path, and consequently we carry out repairs.

* General Maintenance - Cycle paths are not at present on a regular cutting schedule, we tend to react to requests, however this is not the most satisfactory way of dealing with the vegetation and I am hopeful that we can institute regular inspections in the near future. The frequency would normally be twice a year. I would just add that if the vegetation is growing over from adacent properties / land, we would normally contact the land owner to request them to cut it back.

* Gates on cycle paths - It is not our policy to install staggered gates on all cycle routes, but we tend to where the meet roads. There is a standard specification for this, and the gap between barriers should be 1.2 metres. I will arrange for the barrier south of Old Chelmsfordians to be checked.

My apologies once again for you not having received a reply earlier

John Dobinson

Chelmsford Highway Maintenance Manager