I was interested to read the letter from David Doherty from Weston regarding local roads.
As every local knows these roads were constructed for farm and local traffic.
We are in the Fens where the soil has a very high water content and as such suffers from what we called “ground heave”, that is during dry periods the soil shrinks, and in wet times the soil expands.This a natural occurrence however in the Fens it gets exaggerated.
This can be seen along some local roads where telegraph poles are erected, these were put in vertical but are not now.
I was not around when these roads were built, but I would assume they constructed with the knowledge of the soil and their use.
The use has now been superseded by heavy goods vehicles, and with the massive house building in progress, particularly in my area, and increased domestic traffic, it is clear that these roads are not up to the job.
What is not clear is why the authorities at county or local level have allowed the covering of grade A arable food-producing soil with housing without improving the construction of said roads to take the increase in quantity and weight of the traffic.
Perhaps an answer from those responsible will be forthcoming.
Peter Orwell
Holbeach
