Lib Dems slam 13 weeks of Lockfield Drive closure

The County Council recently announced that Lockfield Drive, between Bampton Way and Robin Hood Roundabout, will be closed from 21st September for approximately 13 weeks to repair a pedestrian bridge. Following the news of the road closure, Lib Dem Councillors have written to the Cabinet Member for Transport at County Hall asking why the road needs to closed for 13 weeks and why the announcement was made less than a week before the closure is to start.

They also expressed serious concerns about the official diversion route, which is north of Goldsworth Park and Horsell, via Chobham Road, Kettlewell Hill and Littlewick Road. This is a huge diversion which will add a significant amount of time to motorists' journeys. There are fears that the road closure of Lockfield Drive will result in the quiet roads of Goldsworth Park and St John's being used as unofficial diversion routes.

Lib Dem Borough Councillor for Goldsworth Park, Ann-Marie Barker, said:

"I am appalled that the County Council wants to close a section of Lockfield Drive for 13 weeks. Woking's highway network won't be able to cope without Lockfield Drive for that length of time, the road will effectively be closed until Christmas. We need to know what alternatives to this lengthy closure have been considered."

"This closure will add a significant diversion to motorists' journeys, adding to the lengthy roadworks in Woking town centre. With all the extra traffic that will inevitably go through Goldsworth Park, I really worry about safety. Our residential roads cannot be used as an alternative to an A road."