Residents have criticised regular road closures in Stradishall, in the area of Edmunds Hill, questioning why traffic lights cannot be installed instead.
Local Councillor Bobby Bennett and Nick Timothy MP have written to Anglian Water, who say they have been fixing burst water mains and have needed to close the road for workers’ safety.
The view of Mr Timothy and Councillor Bennett is that Anglian should make better use of traffic lights and more effective signage instead of these sudden and frequent closures that paralyse villages.
Anglian Water have apologised for the inconvenience but this is not enough. Residents deserve better.
Please see Anglian Water’s responses to Mr Timothy and to Councillor Bennett below.
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Email to Councillor Bennett, 12 December 2025
Thank you for your email… After receiving your correspondence, I escalated your concerns to our network service support manager … who has confirmed that our road closures are implemented solely to ensure the safety of our teams and the public, while complying with the requirements of the Street Works Act, while we carry out essential repairs to our assets.
In some situations, temporary traffic lights cannot be used due to the position of the water main and the extent of the excavation required. In these cases, roadworks and closures are necessary whenever we are working within the highway.
We understand the concerns raised about the frequency of bursts in the area, and we can confirm that we have submitted plans for a mains renewal, which will significantly reduce the likelihood of future bursts once completed. We are aware of the number of incidents over the past six months and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this has caused to the residents. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve communication and minimise disruption we will be reviewing the current signage arrangements to ensure they clearly show closure points, and which sections of the road remain accessible.
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Email to Nick Timothy MP, 31 October 2025
Thank you again for getting in touch and sharing the constituents’ concerns about the recent burst water mains and road closures.
When an emergency burst happens, we aren’t always able to give advance notice before closing the road. These closures have to stay in place until our teams can safely complete the repair and fully reinstate the road surface.
To help keep everyone up to date, customers can check on ongoing work by visiting our website https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/your-local-area/report-an-issue/and entering the reference number shown on the Anglian Water “Aware” board at the site.
For any planned works, we’ll look into contacting the local council or town clerk so the information can be shared with residents in advance. This should make it easier for everyone to plan ahead and hopefully reduce any disruption.
We know there have been a number of bursts in the area over the past year, particularly in recent months. Because of this, we’ve already submitted a water mains renewal scheme so that the water main can be replaced – improving the reliability of your local network.
We are really sorry for the inconvenience these issues have caused and want to reassure you that we’re doing everything we can to improve the situation for residents.
We thank them for their patience and understanding whilst we continue this work.
