Essex locals furious over 'extremely embarrassing' bollard delays

It was claimed the amount of barriers gives the impression the road is blocked and businesses are closed
-Credit: (Image: Matt Lee/EssexLive)


Residents and businesses have expressed anger and frustration over delays in building a set of bollards in a busy area of Chelmsford city centre. A local councillor has described the delays as "extremely embarrassing" for those involved.

Bollards have been installed at the top of the High Street, close to Shire Hall, but it remains a construction site despite the project being started several years ago.

The bollards are part of wider plans to have Tindal Square pedestrianised and reshaped. The project was initially approved in October 2021 and whilst the majority of it has long been completed, barriers and signs remain in place at bollards close to the junction of Waterloo Lane.

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Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council are both involved in the scheme. Work has been ongoing for several years and, according to some locals, there have been days when construction workers have not even been witnessed on-site.

Spen Carlo, general manager at Voodoo Keller Bar on Waterloo Lane, claimed: "There has not been work done for some time. It looks closed with 90 per cent of the walkway blocked with barriers."

They added: "The end of the road looks closed, it looks like you can't get through. It's very badly signposted. There does not seem to be any continual work going on. There's nobody out there doing anything."

Ali Holman, who lives in Chelmsford and runs the Bowerbirds business on the corner of Waterloo Lane and New Street, added: "The roadworks are not only making it difficult for people to see that Bowerbirds is here but they also make it difficult to get to. At times, the barriers have made it extremely dangerous for anyone attempting to cross the road between Bowerbirds and the High Street because of where they are positioned and the way that huge lorries come around the corner of New Street onto Waterloo Lane - they cut the corner and drive over the pavement.

"It was almost impossible for people on mobility scooters or those with pushchairs to access Tindal Square at one point. It’s worse when the work vans are parked up because then the traffic congestion also becomes difficult. That's only on the days that they’re here though - most days they’re not. It’s been like this for two years now."

It's understood that two main issues have been affecting the site's progress. A bespoke cabinet that powers the rising bollards has had to be ordered and manufactured before being installed alongside Shire Hall. There have also been issues with securing a date for the cabinet to be connected to the power network.

There has also had to be emergency repair work on an area close to Man Cave on the High Street. Whilst appearing to be connected, this is an element of work separate from the wider Tindal Square project.

Cllr Andrew Thorpe-Apps, representing Writtle, said: "The delays are extremely embarrassing for the City Council as project lead and it's quite right that businesses and residents should ask when the scheme will be completed. The City Council is doing what it can to address the final issues to get completion through to Essex County Council who are the project managers."

A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: "We appreciate the concerns of businesses and are working with our partners to complete the final elements of the project as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the scheme has faced delays caused by electrical connection issues.

"We expect these to be resolved this week, and following this we hope to complete the final elements of the project this autumn. The scheme overall has had a positive impact to the top end of Chelmsford High Street.

"It has removed motorised vehicles from the top of the High Street, helping better connect the businesses here by providing better pedestrian access."

A spokeswoman for Chelmsford City Council added: "The final elements of this project have taken much longer than expected and, although these delays have been unavoidable, we do understand the frustration of businesses in the area. We are working with our partners to get these works finished as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we have asked the project team to put measures in place that we hope will minimise the impact of these delays on nearby businesses."