Pressure builds on housebuilder to re-open a critical road in Great Glen

A major housebuilder should urgently re-open a critical road in Great Glen, fuming Harborough MP Neil O’Brien is demanding.

Neil is being backed up by Great Glen councillors James Hallam and Rani Mahal as he turns up the pressure on Miller Homes.

They are acting after Oaks Road has been closed to traffic at the point where it leaves the village since the start of March.

The busy road was shut over three month ago as a controversial new 170-home estate is being built by Miller Homes.

Neil said the work was “supposed to be over within three months”.

“However, while many building sites have been working throughout the coronavirus pandemic work on the road in Great Glen is only just about to restart.

“That means this vital road will remain shut for some time to come,” said the incensed Conservative MP.

“The closure of the road is extremely bad for local businesses.

“They are now back up and running again but struggling badly because of the devastating virus.

“It’s a major inconvenience for residents.

“Many local people, including me, didn’t want this development to go ahead in the first place.

“Millers got agreement to close the road for a long period.

“I have been in touch with them several times to chase but they haven’t used the last couple of weeks to get working on it.

“Their actions are just stretching out the inconvenience for residents.

“They must get on with it and get it done as soon as possible.”

Cllr James Hallam, who represents Great Glen on Harborough District Council, said: “We appreciate there has been disruption because of the virus.

“But other building sites have been making progress in recent weeks with people working in a safe way.

“Given that this site is currently causing the road to be blocked at great inconvenience to our residents and costs to business, they should be under a special responsibility to get on with it.”

Fellow district councillor Cllr Rani Mahal said: “We really need Millers to get this road back open.

“They should be pulling out all the stops and paying whatever it takes to get this done ASAP.

“It is inconveniencing people in our village, and is bad for Great Glen businesses.”

She insisted: “There have been a lot of issues with Millers’ developments and they need to take responsibility and get this sorted out now.”

A Miller Homes spokeswoman said: “We have been in regular contact with MP Neil O’Brien to keep him updated on work at our Regal View development at Great Glen following the lockdown.

“Due to the Covid-19 shut down, the temporary specification applied to backfill open excavations on the road meant it was unsuitable for public use and Leicestershire Highways Department supported the closure remaining in place during the lockdown period.

“Our most recent correspondence with MP O’Brien was last Monday, 8 June, when we informed him that preparatory works to implement Covid-19 site procedures were in place at Regal View with work restarting on site today, Monday 15 June, and works to the public highway to recommence thereafter.

“We can confirm that construction on site has successfully recommenced today, including our sub-contractor returning to work on the highway improvements to Oaks Road.”