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A Preston councillor has branded the ongoing closure of a well-used underpass as ‘ridiculous’ as a solution still seems out of reach in the short term.
The tunnel on Darkinson Lane in Lea was constructed as part of the £206m link road scheme, which has seen a new dual carriageway created connecting Riversway to a new junction 2 on the M55.
However, it has been shut since late October when heavy rain flooded the area once again and Lancashire County Council (LCC) confirmed that drainage issues, as well as a faulty pump, meant there was no quick fix to the issues afflicting the tunnel.
Ben Ward, city councillor for Ingol and Cottam, raised a petition seeking to apply pressure on LCC to prioritise finding a solution to the ongoing flooding issues. It received 220 signatures.
But the response Cllr Ward received from LCC Democratic Services to the petition has not gone down well.
In its response, LCC says: “Unfortunately, the water pump that is permanently in place here to drain water from the footpath has malfunctioned. The manufacturer’s engineer has recommended moving the control box for the pumping station to higher ground, and that the control panels in the control box require replacing.
“An order has been placed for the repair and we await a date for completion. Once the controls are repaired we will be able test the pumps. In the event that the pumps are damaged these will need repair or replacement.
“We are in the hands of a third-party supplier and therefore unable to provide firm dates but we are working hard towards re-opening the underpass.”
Cllr Ward told Blog Preston that continuing to blame third party suppliers was ‘ridiculous’. And in an email to LCC, he called for swift action.
He said: “The claim that the delay in action is down to third party issues, was justifiable in November – it is not half a year later.
“A cynic would argue that the location of the control panel (at the base of the slope) was inappropriate at the time of installation. I find it difficult to believe that it has taken six months to purchase a new panel. If this is indeed the case, I would suggest swapping supplier.
“In the meantime, I would expect immediate action to be taken to at least temporarily reopen the underpass during the summer months. Previous letters have referred to the need to clear, and possibly dig additional, drainage ditches. This work should be started now, as the excuse of purchasing bespoke equipment doesn’t relate this to this action.”
