Council chiefs acknowledge 'frustrations' over roadworks scheme which caused 'huge impact'

Council chiefs have acknowledged “frustrations” which arose from a recent roadworks scheme in Normanby.

The recently completed £350,000 project at Normanby Top, described as essential by Redcar and Cleveland Council, involved installing new traffic lights, reconstructing the carriageway and widening the busy junction where the High Street and Normanby Road meet in a bid to improve vehicle flows and safety.

A rolling programme of road closures in the area caused headaches for businesses and motorists alike with local shop owners complaining that trade had dropped off and their takings hit and drivers complaining of “gridlock” some days.

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Concerns over the roadworks were even raised in Parliament by MP Jacob Young, who described their “huge impact”. Access from Cleveland Street and West Street onto the High Street was closed off for various periods.

A statement from the council said contractors had completed the work “on time”, despite some issues with the weather. It said: “We know that roadworks can lead to frustrations and ourselves and our contractors do work to ease congestion as much as possible while works are ongoing.”

There had been calls for the local authority to compensate business owners, with some telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they had been told to claim against insurance policies instead. When the LDRS visited in May there was also evidence that motorists approaching the High Street from Flatts Lane were taking impromptu short cuts, crossing a grass verge and mounting a kerb in order to avoid the road closures.

Meanwhile, separate to the Normanby Top scheme, road resurfacing works are likely to cause further disruption. Temporary road closures have been in place this month, again affecting West Street and Flatts Lane so the road can be resurfaced.

And in nearby Eston resurfacing is also taking place in Bankfields Road from June 28 with another temporary road closure lasting up to five days. A council spokesman said both projects being undertaken by Tarmac on behalf of the local authority were due to be finished by July 3, with local diversions in place.