Council reveals plansfor West Street works

The works will centre on re-surfacing the whole of West Street - one of the main access routes into the town centre.

However, the programme will also include improvements to the junction of West Street with the A158 (Lincoln Road) and also to Langton Hill (the B1191 to Woodhall Spa).

The complex programme will start in August and is not scheduled to finish until December.

Initially, that sparked fears of months of delays and disruption and claims the county council had failed to consult properly with residents and business owners.

However, the works will be completed in phases - starting with the re-surfacing of West Street.

It will be closed for up to three weeks from August 20. Vehicles will not be able to exit or enter West Street from the A158 although ‘very limited’ access will be retained for residents and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School.

One that work is completed, contractors will move onto the junction improvements.

Those improvements have been ‘penned in’ for September 10 to October 26 and will involve a nighttime closure of the A158 (7pm-6am) for up to two weeks.

Work will also be carried out on Langton Hill - the first part involving the B1191 and the second improvements to an a access road at the top of the hill.

The work will involve the closure of the B1191 at the junction with Lincoln Road.

Highways officers Matthew Fox and Steve Brooks revealed details of the programme at a meeting of Horncastle Town Council’s planning committee on Monday evening.

They also outlined plans for what will be lengthy diversions - when the roads are closed.

To access businesses at the foot of Langton Hill, HGV’s will have to travel via Coningsby and Woodhall Spa.

During the night closure of the A158, traffic will have to divert at Wragby and onto A157 and then the A153 via Louth.

However, residents and town councillors at the meeting said they feared many drivers would ignore the diversions and, instead, use routes like Thimbleby Hill, Accommodation Road and Prospect Street.

Resident Peter Wilkinson said Prospect Street was already struggling and could not cope with large HGVs.

He also stressed the junction of Accommodation Road and Lincoln Road was dangerous and extra traffic meant it was ‘an accident waiting to happen.”

Councillors - including Angela Birchall and Fiona Martin - said they appreciated the work had to be done but warned the town centre and other routes would be gridlocked.

Mr Brooks said the council had spoken to as many businesses as possible and revealed officers would be on hand during the duration of the work.

He admitted some plans had still to be finalised - including arrangements for buses which will be unable to use West Street.