Residents took to social media on Friday (4/12) to vent their frustration at the gridlock in Rayleigh once again. Unfortunately there was nothing we could do to reassure residents as we’d already written to RDC about having ‘proactive’ discussions with Essex Highways about planned roadworks on Rawreth Lane/Hullbridge Rd (which were duly ignored) and also written to the Essex County Councillor who was leading the ‘developer forum’ (whatever that does, it appears little has been achieved).
Cllr James Newport wrote to Mark Francois, on behalf of the Rayleigh Lib Dems, out of sheer frustration over the matter but many residents commented on social media that it appears as if the Rayleigh & Wickford MP has disappeared and is not carrying out his duly elected role.
A copy of the email can be read below
Dear Mark,
Once again the residents of our district have found themselves in absolute gridlock due to the flooding of Watery Lane & roadworks allowed by Essex County Council Highways. I simply can’t understand for the life of me why it is so hard with modern technology, to schedule roadworks that don’t cause this mass gridlock across our town especially at a time when local businesses are struggling to recover from the multiple lockdowns and people are trying to return to some kind of normality.
I can only hope that you will once again speak with Cllr Bentley and drag him across the coals (again) for allowing us to endure this deja vu with traffic problems. I would implore you to lobby government for funding for infrastructure in our district BEFORE any further development is permitted. Our road network simply can not take it, despite what Essex Highways might have you believe.
I know my inbox certainly can’t take anymore of the constant stream of complaints I receive from constituents about highways problems.
I look forward to your urgent response on these matters.
Regards
Cllr James Newport
Downhall & Rawreth
Rochford District Council
If we hear back from Mark, we will post his response to update residents if he is prepared to take action over this reoccuring problem.