Dear Editor,
Glos CC Highways are proposing to close a Minchinhampton road for resurfacing from The Ragged Cot, Cirencester Road to Gatcombe Corner from Friday, 13 December to 23 December from 7am to 7pm, excluding weekends.
The Highways Stakeholder Team and Structural Maintenance Team have decided that the works will not allow any vehicular access along the whole length of this road during the works period except blue light vehicles.
Beeches Park has its only access onto this road and is a community of 34 dwellings with a high proportion of elderly residents, some are infirm, others have disabilities and a few are fit and working. The majority rely on access on daily basis for a range of services including: Medical appointments, Doctors, care workers, support workers, laundry, home help and cleaners, weekly off-site respite sessions, deliveries of essential medical supplies and medication.
GCC Highways have suggested that residents and these service providers park about 200m away from which the majority of the unlit pedestrian access is over a rough and pitted grass and stone highway verge.
Practically this will not happen as the services will merely cancel or postpone these activities to the detriment of residents. Many are in their 80s, 90s with the eldest 104 and all need certainty of their routines placing reliance on their visiting support infrastructure at regular and expected times. It is a well understood fact that disturbing these routines negatively impacts on such persons’ well-being.
The Beeches Park Residents Association have put forward a solution to GCC Highways. The resurfacing works could be phased with a split at the entrance to Beeches Park thus enabling vehicular traffic to be maintained to Beeches Park at all times. At present this has been rejected by GCC Highways.
John Collinson,
Chairperson,
Beeches Park,
Residents Association
