Fazeley congestion an uphill battle

Some progress with a very big dose of frustration. That’s how I’d sum up my meeting this morning about the work to combat traffic chaos in and around Fazeley during busy times for Drayton Manor Park.

It’s eight months since I convened the first meeting with the Park and various public agencies involved in traffic management. It followed a summer of serious and regular gridlock for the area with local people taking as much as an hour to get home from just outside Fazeley.

I had hoped to simply set the ball rolling with that first meeting and have the others around the table come up with an action plan to deal with the traffic problems. Initially the signs were very good. Drayton Manor promised to undertake work to increase the amount of hard standing car park spaces, the Highways Agency agreed to look at changing signage on the M42 and County Highways said they’d look how traffic flows could be improved immediately around the theme park.

October was my last meeting with all concerned where, as promised, firm proposals were put on the table. A genuine sense of progress and agreement that things were on track to be in place by Easter ‘09. The meeting I convened today was to make sure the plans on paper are going to be in place before the first ‘test’ in a few weeks time.

Well there’s certainly been a lot of talk since October but, other than Drayton Manor Park fulfilling their promise of more car parking spaces, the public agencies involved have delivered none of what they said they would. I sat at the table this morning completely bemused at why nothing substantive has happened. The traffic consultants had the detailed masterplan but there was just no sign of actual delivery on the ground. It turned out the that both Colin Bryan from the Park and the consultants had been chasing but to no avail.

Why is it that nothing happens unless I’m constantly badgering people? I’ve no idea but it does irritate me! So, I used this morning’s meeting to understand exactly what should have happened when and who should have done it. We ended up going through it all again and hopefully after some firm ‘encouragement’ from me some of the measures are likely to be in place in the next couple of weeks.

Not all but, hopefully, enough to combat some of the problems experienced last Easter. I’ve learned another lesson again today and won’t be taking any chances. I’ll keep badgering all concerned again next week. I am annoyed though.

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