Concerns raised about plans for road across Godmanchester common

Concerns have been raised about plans to construct a permanent access road across a Godmanchester common.

The Environment Agency (EA) has been granted planning permission by Huntingdonshire District Council for a permanent road across Westside Common, off Post Street and Park Lane, leading to a pumping station at Cook’s Stream, part of the town’s flood alleviation scheme.

Engineers were expected to use the 240-metre raised access road, constructed of an equal mix of top soil and asphalt shavings with a grass seed mix, about once a year for maintenance and inspection.

Alan Hooker, president of the Godmanchester Community Association, said: “Going back a couple of months, when we had celebrations in the town, we wanted to put a couple of bags of gravel on a boggy patch on Westside Common to firm it up for a road to get out of the car park.

“We weren’t allowed to do it as it wouldn’t be able to be safe for grazing cattle.

“A few months down the line, they let the Environment Agency build a road right through it, which would take 100 tonnes of hardcore. They won’t use it much and they seem to have managed without it up to now.”

EA project manager Elisha Tafirenyika said: “The access is needed to get to a pumping station built as part of the scheme, which will need access for maintenance. The access track will be covered by plants and will not be seen.”

Conditions imposed by HDC would mean the road is covered by grass and wild flowers.