‘I have lived here for 29 years and it has not been a problem here before’
A woman has claimed the road outside her home is “falling to pieces”, as there are problems with pot holes and drainage. Maria de Chello, who has lived along Histon Road for 29 years, claims there are issues with the road that need fixing since it underwent major roadworks.
In 2021, the Greater Cambridge Partnership officially finished the Histon Road project, where the key Cambridge road underwent a major transformation. This included adding in new cycle lanes, footpaths, a bus lane and more.
She claims that drainage is not good enough, with leaves and debris filling up the drains resulting in them overflowing. She also claims there are deep pot holes along the road.
“The road was fine before, it has been a disaster since,” said Maria. She added: “They lowered the path so there is basically not a curb.You get leaves that block the drains. Then when vehicles go by, they splash our car.
“We have a black car and it’s like 101 Dalmatians when cars go by. The road also has a big dome and it’s not even.”
Maria also said there is a problem with drain covers. She said: “The drain covers sound like train tracks when cars go over them. The road looks like a big crater.
“I have lived here for 29 years and it has not been a problem here before.” Maria believes the road needs to be resurfaced. She added: “The whole stretch of road will eventually go. They need to bring the road up but I don’t know if they will. They need proper drainage.”
The Greater Cambridge Partnership first carried out the project to provide better bus, walking and cycling routes into Cambridge. A spokesperson from the Greater Cambridge Partnership said: “We delivered the award-winning project on Histon Road in 2021, featuring a dedicated bus lane, new footpaths and new or widened cycle lanes, as well as Cambridge’s first CYCLOPS (cycle optimised protected signals) junction, to improve safety along a key route in and out of Cambridge. We are working with the County Council on ongoing maintenance for the road.”
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “Our highways officers inspect Histon Road, Cambridge on a monthly basis. Since the start of November we have received six reports of potholes, four of which are scheduled to be repaired. The other two reports are very recent and will be inspected. Drainage on Histon Road was cleaned in May, earlier this year.
“We’d urge people to report any potholes or concerns about road drainage in their area, using our online tool. It’s easy to use and flags any faults for inspection which have not yet been marked – https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/highwayfaults.”
