AFTER we published a letter to the editor on the state of the underpass near St Mark’s school, we were contacted by Netteswell councillor, James Griggs regarding this issue.

Councillor Griggs said:

“The flooding of the Second Avenue underpass was brought to my attention by residents a few weeks ago. I reported it to ECC at that time.

“From the report response it is apparent that I’m not alone in reporting it but there is no projected date for attending to it and the report response even goes so far as to say that multiple reports of the issue will not speed up their timescale for attending to it!

Essex County Council (ECC) is currently pumping money into projects to encourage more cycling and, as a cyclist myself, I very much welcome that but it is clear there is a complete lack of joined up thinking at ECC when they spend our taxes in this way but totally neglect cycle tracks leaving them flooded  or littered with potholes.

Every time I have to deal with ECC I become more and more convinced it and our local County Councillors are unfit for purpose and are failing residents.

“As well as pumping money into cycling projects it needs to pump out the neglected drainage system and clear this underpass”.