Biggleswade councillor accuses CBC Highways of 'colossal' failure as roadworks abandoned 'Mary Celeste-style'

CBC dismissed a team appointed by its contractor Ringway Jacobs when footpath repairs in Stratton Way were "abandoned Mary Celeste-style" and described by residents as an "accident waiting to happen". Both CBC and Ringway Jacobs have since apologised for the "inconvenience" caused, and an alternative contractor is being sought to finish the job.

Posting on social media, Central Bedfordshire Councillor Steven Watkins claimed: "It seemed like workers had simply downed tools, leaving exposed water mains and the unfinished and dangerous pavements abandoned, Marie Celeste-style."

Cllr Watkins told the Chronicle that improvements to footpaths has been going on across the town for at least two months, with residents contacting him in mid-October to alert him about the empty work site on Stratton Way.

However, upon receiving a full update from the council's Highways department, Cllr Watkins claimed the incident represented a "colossal failure".

The reply from CBC Highways, which Cllr Watkins shared on social media, stated: "I am writing to let you know that the work on our footway resurfacing sites has been postponed. As a consequence of a serious health and safety breach by a Ringway Jacobs sub-contractor, we have, with immediate effect, instructed that all employees from this company be removed from the Central Bedfordshire Council Highway Network. We have spoken to our contractor Ringway Jacobs, to ensure that all work locations are left in a safe and tidy state. Ringway Jacobs will now secure an alternative contractor to complete the programme as soon as possible.”

Cllr Watkins claimed: "Given that Independent councillors recently discovered that 50 per cent of Highways tasks are never completed (and their auditor, paid £17,000, didn’t discover this level of failure), residents were rightly concerned about when this work would actually be completed."

A spokesman for Ringway Jacobs said: “We appreciate the inconvenience that the interruption to the footway programme of works has caused to residents and are currently working with Central Bedfordshire Council in relation to this matter. We are working together to ensure that all work locations are left in a safe condition.”

A CBC spokesman said: “We appreciate the inconvenience that the interruption to the footway programme of works has caused to residents. We are working with our contractor Ringway Jacobs, to ensure that all work locations are left in a safe and tidy state before securing an alternative contractor to complete the programme as soon as possible.”

However, Cllr Watkins posted: "So, the decision to appoint another sub-contractor will be made by, err, Ringway Jacobs, who were responsible for appointing the previous sub-contractor guilty of the ‘serious breach’. I understand that the final straw was the contractor pulling down two BT overhead cables."

Cllr Watkins informed the Chronicle that work on Stratton Way is due to start again next week.

>Do you have a story about health and safety, roadworks or traffic issues in your area? Email: [email protected]