Roger Gough

Thursday 19 October 2023

Pilgrims Way East half term closure

Many residents will already be aware of next week’s further closure of Pilgrims Way East. 


The road will be closed from 23rd October for four days between the A225 and Row Dow.


This will be a full (24/7) closure.This is unrelated to the other recent closures and is to allow SGN to carry out works on their services. Our Streetworks team attempted to get these works carried out at the same time as the table tops were being installed, but SGN was not ready to deliver those works at that time.The works have therefore been delayed until half term week to avoid any impact on school journeys.


The closure is a full one, because PWE is a narrow road and there is no scope to carry out the works while traffic can pass safely.


Regrettably, this does mean further significant disruption to residents who have had a lot to put up with in recent months - but is within the utility’s powers as a statutory undertaker.


The utility has not provided advanced warning signs to residents as it should have. KCC officers visited the site yesterday to check this out, and have issued a fixed penalty notice as well as challenging as to whether or not a letter drop has been completed.


There has to be access for residents, given the length of closure and the number of people affected, but at certain points one way in will have to be closed as the works take place.


Quite separately, there has been an emergency closure starting today (in these cases, KCC is often informed only after the works have started) on Pilgrims Way between Cotmans Ash Lane  and Heaverham Road. This is for works by South East Water, and could last for up to four days - KCC officers are seeking to get this accelerated.