Hundreds sign petition to keep busy road into Northampton open during six-week sinkhole pavement repairs
Hundreds of residents have signed a petition to keep a busy road open while six weeks of repair works are carried out to fix a sinkhole on the adjoining pavement.
Closures for repairs due to a sinkhole on the pavement on Newport Pagnell Road, near the St Georges Field estate, are set to begin on May 26 and end on July 3.
They were initially due to start today (Monday May 11) but West Northants Council has now changed the dates.
A petition has been launched by residents, which has so far, at the time of writing (Monday), garnered nearly 300 signatures urging WNC to keep the road open while works take place.
One resident said: “While we fully understand that safety must come first and that repairs are necessary, the planned closure will have a significant and disproportionate impact on our community. Residents of St George’s Fields will effectively be cut off from direct access to our local village, forcing us to turn right out of the estate and travel several miles out of our way just to return to nearby amenities.
“This is not a minor inconvenience. Many residents rely on these routes multiple times a day to access schools, GP surgeries, shops, and essential services. For families with young children, elderly residents, and those with work or caring responsibilities, this diversion will add considerable time, cost, and stress to daily life.
“The proposed diversion, which extends journeys by around 13 miles in each direction, will have a considerable impact on everyday life for those living here with no alternative. The timing is especially problematic, as it overlaps with the GCSE and A-Level exam period, placing additional and unnecessary pressure on students during an already demanding time.
“We appreciate that discussions have taken place with councillors to minimise disruption, particularly for school travel. However, from a resident’s perspective, the current arrangements do not adequately address the scale of the impact on everyday journeys."
The residents say they are calling for further consideration to be given to local access arrangements during the closure.
They added: “Although alternative routes technically exist, they are not realistically suitable. Many involve narrow single-track roads in poor condition, with significant potholes making them unreliable and potentially unsafe.
“We urge West Northamptonshire Council to listen to the concerns of residents and work collaboratively with the community to find a more balanced solution.”
In response, a WNC spokesman said: “This is a complex repair which is necessary to make the road safe. The diversionary route is intended to deter any HGVs travelling through the area from using narrow village roads. We’re sure local traffic will find shorter alternatives, but we will monitor the situation.”