County council agrees to �300,000 worth of improvements at Fenland accident black spot

COUNCILLORS today gave the go ahead for �300,000 of improvements to a Fenland accident black spot.

Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet agreed to a series of measures to reconstruct part of the A1101 near Wisbech and carry out realignment works.

The decision follows a series of accidents in recent years and is the result of a sustained campaign by villagers and local councillors.

The campaigners also submitted a petition to the Fenland Area Joint Committee in July calling for a bend on the A1101 to be reconstructed and to improve the elevation of the road and also to widen it in places.

Last month residents held a public meeting in Tydd St Giles Village Hall which was attended by a number of senior county council officials and councillors and which was also attended by representatives from the emergency services.

A report to today's Cabinet said that the area has a history "of high severity collisions and has seen 11 injury accidents in the assessment period, four fatal accidents, three resulting in serious and four resulting in slight injuries".

Graham Chappell of the Fenland Road Safety Campaign joined A1101 campaign team members at Shire Hall to hear councillors agreed to the package of improvements.

He said afterwards: "It's a victory for commonsense and a great credit to the A1101 campaign team who have put together an extremely well argued case to get this stretch of road improved.

"I am delighted for them but especially delighted at the increasing importance the county council is now giving to road safety in Fenland."

"Although the bulk of this work cannot be carried until later next year, I am particularly pleased that the council has recognised the urgency of getting something done quickly and has agreed to put in place interim measures that we hope will stop further casualties.