Rushcliffe MP Ruth Edwards has today organised a roundtable telephone conference with other local MPs and Highways England to discuss ongoing repairs to Clifton Bridge.
Ruth wrote to Highways England in February to request the meeting prior to the coronavirus outbreak and was determined that it should go ahead as planned.
“Although we couldn’t sit down face to face and discuss these issues, the ongoing works to Clifton Bridge remain a huge issue for everyone who lives or works nearby. I was absolutely adamant that the meeting should go forward in some form.” Said Ruth.
Ruth was joined by fellow MPs Tom Randall, Darren Henry, Lillian Greenwood, Alex Norris and Nadia Whitham. Attendees from Highways England included Nick Harris – Executive Director, Catherine Brookes – Midlands Operations Director and Adrian Oulds – East Midlands head of Service Delivery
During the conference call, Highways England gave assurances that the repairs to the bridge were being given the highest priority and that they were doing everything possible to minimise disruption. They accepted the impact of the works on Nottingham and the surrounding areas and were very sorry for that.
They also made clear that safety was the primary concern but they were doing everything they can to bring the project to completion as quickly as possible. The current timeline was for repairs to be finished by the end of the year.
Ruth highlighted the disruption to local residents and asked if there was anything that could be done to speed up the schedule. She also suggested that Rushcliffe Borough Council should be included in discussions. Both points were taken up by Highways England who have promised to report back to the group in the next few days.
Ruth said:
“I am incredibly grateful to Nick and the team at Highways England for meeting with us today. It was good to hear that progress is being made and that a clear timeline would be published as soon as possible. Residents in Rushcliffe must not be forgotten when these issues are being discussed and I am pleased Highways England will be making contact with RBC next week.”
“I was also pleased to hear that Highways England would be coming back to us with anything they might need to speed up the repair process. If and when they do, we will work together as a group to press the Department for Transport to ensure they have everything they need.”
Ruth has approached the Department for Transport to request that the Minister come and visit Clifton Bridge once current social distancing guidance returns to normal.
