The A14 Legacy Path

Published: 28 January 2022

At the Parish Council meeting of 20 January 2022 the Council heard from a number of residents about their concerns regarding the new path on the Village Green. The Council discussed the situation and a resolution was made to send a letter to the A14 Legacy team with a Freedom of Information Request for information regarding the path. The content of the letter is shown below:

The Parish Council resolved at their meeting of the 20 January 2022, to send a letter expressing their concerns regarding the A14 Legacy Path installed by or on behalf of Highways England.

Several residents attended our meeting to complain to the Parish Council regarding the quality and safety of the path. The local Primary School, Businesses and Village Hall have also been impacted by the surface gravel carried in by their visitors’ shoes.

In an effort to seek further information, the Parish Council wish to formally make the following Freedom of Information Request.

1. Any records of site impact assessments and safety reports undertaken by Highways England or its contractors regarding the Path.
2. Any information held on how to maintain the path.
3. A copy of the contract tender or any similar legal agreements that relate to the A14 Legacy Path Installed.
4. Any records held of the location that you or your contractors have installed for paths of the same type (as the A14 Legacy Path) within the last 5 years and any records of complaints or safety issues that you may hold for the same type of path.
5. Any records held about the decision-making process which awarded the A14 Legacy Path to the village instead of a Scout Hut.
6. Any Records held regarding the decision to offer a compacted gravel path to the village.

We will await your response to our request within ICO guidelines.

The Parish Council do not believe that the current path is up to the standard of similar compacted gravel paths that they have used.

We relied on the advice and expertise of the A14 Legacy team and your contractors, along with the verbal advice given to our Chair Councillor Bunty Waters. The Parish Council were sadly not given written instruction on how to maintain the path.

The Council believes that the path was not given sufficient time to set which has caused the surface gravel issues and may have been installed at the wrong time of year.

Please find enclosed a copy of the complaints from Bar Hill residents regarding the path for your reference.

We remain open to amicable resolution with Highways England to resolve the outstanding issues with the Path and welcome you to our next Parish Council meeting on 17 February 2022 to discuss the concerns regarding the Path with the Council and concerned residents.