Ten days to go as A134 Sicklesmere Road roundabout project, near Bury St Edmunds, remains ‘on schedule’
After weeks of road closures, a town’s controversial roundabout project is expected to be completed in 10 days.
Construction of the new roundabout on the A134 Sicklesmere Road, just outside Bury St Edmunds, began in February as part of the Abbots Vale housing development being built by Hopkins Homes.
Despite sparking controversy due to eight weekends of road closures and a 43-mile diversion route put in place by Suffolk Highways, a spokesperson for Hopkins Homes has confirmed the project remains on schedule to be finished by May 5.
They said: “We are pleased to report that the works remain on schedule, with significant progress achieved to date.
“Traffic management remains in place, with temporary traffic lights to the north of the new roundabout during weekdays.”
The project will see two more weekend closures as final works are completed, with the next closure beginning tonight at 8pm and lasting until 5am on Monday.
Although the new roundabout is now operational and two bus stops have been installed along the road, there are still drainage works to be completed.
Peter Royce, chairman of Great Whelnetham and Little Whelnetham Parish Council, said he was glad to see this stage of the development nearly finished — but he was bracing for more disruption as Hopkins Homes and Denbury Homes move forward with plans for a relief road to the A14.
“We still don’t really know exactly what they’ll be doing,” he said. “Their communication so far has been as clear as frosted glass.
“We’re not out of the woods yet. I expect even more congestion and delays with the next round of roadworks.
“Hopkins Homes just do not seem to consider the impact their development is having on our communities.”
Once the roundabout is complete, the developers aim to build a relief road connecting the A134 to Rougham Hill along with upgrades to the Southgate Green roundabout.
A proposal by Hopkins Homes and Denbury Homes to raise the number of homes to be occupied before completing the relief road and roundabout — up from 200 to 375 homes and 550 to 675 respectively — was withdrawn on March 19.
SuffolkNews recently reported that developers had declined to offer compensation to businesses affected by the road closures, including The Friendly Loaf bakery in Low Green, Nowton.
Hopkins Homes said any claims should be made through business interruption insurance and that compensation falls under the remit of Suffolk County Council, in line with a Section 278 agreement.
However, Mr Royce believes the developers are ‘hiding behind the legislation’.
He said: “I think it’s wrong not to offer any kind of compensation.
“The bakery had no consultation or warning that Low Green was going to be closed — they were completely blindsided.
“If developers can just hide behind legislation like this, then I’d like to see the Government step in and change this legislation for when big developments like this put local businesses at risk.
“In my opinion, any authority or developer which instigates a road closure lasting more than three weeks should be responsible for supporting the small businesses affected to make sure they survive.”
