Luminus brokers slippery slope solution

THE slippery slope in Huntingdon’s Chequers Court will in future be cleared by Huntingdon Town Council, whose offices are close by, using grit provided by the landowner, Churchmanor Estates Limited.

The agreement resolves a stand-off between Churchmanor and local authorities, with each saying it was someone else’s responsibility while shoppers, many of them frail or elderly, were at risk on the icy slope.

Social landlord the Luminus Group stepped in to solve the problem in the short term earlier this month, when chief executive Chan Abraham sent his own workers out with a barrow-load of grit.

He also wrote to the other parties, urging them to put their heads together to protect Huntingdon’s shoppers.

A company spokesman told The Hunts Post that the Luminus initiative had “achieved a successful outcome in getting Churchmanor Estates, Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdon Town Council to work together to prevent people slipping on the icy footpath in Chequers Court.”

In response to Mr Abraham’s letter, Churchmanor and the county council had “entered into discussions about highway boundaries and responsibility for their maintenance,” Luminus added.

“To deal with any immediate problems, Churchmanor has agreed to provide grit and the town council has agreed to spread it.”

“This is good progress,” Mr Abraham said, “and I am really pleased that these excellent organisations upon whom local people depend have taken prompt action. I wish them well with their discussions and trust they will be able to achieve an outcome that works for Huntingdon this winter and in the future.”