There are signs of spring at last, but perhaps not too late for more grit bins that residents have requested. In the cold weather, a number of requests were made by residents for grit bins. One is being provided, in Rennishaw way, but in Masefield way, Arthur St. and Ainsdale close residents requests were rejected by the Tory County Council. I have offered to fund them with my ‘councillors empowerment’ budget, but this too was turned down as the County said they could not keep them filled up with grit and salt.

By next winter, the Conservative County Council plan to cut the standard of winter gritting. We can only hope it won’t be so cold!

New road signs have been put up at the junction of Kingsley Road and Abington Grove. It’s a long time since Abington Grove had any street signs, many people didn’t even know it was there!

The Council have declared Barrack Rd and the Park Avenue North/Kettering Rd roundabout as designated air quality management areas. Some other busy junctions, such as the Cock Hotel, have already been AQMA’s for a while.

Both of these areas have been tested over recent months for Nitrogen Dioxide, one of the main pollutants from traffic, and they are above the government targets, requiring that they are designated as air quality management areas (AQMA).

Both areas will continue to be monitored, and if the level of pollution does not fall then a management plan has to be prepared to show how the pollution may be tackled. This is particularly a matter for the County Council as the Highways Authority to show how traffic levels may be reduced. Ultimately though, it’s up to all of us. The more people use public transport, bike or walk into town, the less traffic and the less pollution particularly for people who live in the immediate vicinity of these roads.

The Council have announced plans to resurface Kettering Rd from the White Elephant to Chaucer St. Work is due to start in July, depending on the weather and progress on other work. It is expected that the work will be done over three weekends, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays (not Saturdays). On mid-week days work will be done on resufacing the road in Milton St.

Traffic will be diverted at certain times while work is underway. Northbound traffic will be sent via Kingsley Rd, Fairway and Kenmuir Avenue, southbound via Park Avenue, Abington Avenue and Abington Grove. It is expected that the restrictions will be lifted outside working hours

The County Council are reconstructing the kerbs and footways in Milton St, in a similar way to the work done in Oliver St. last year.

Work is due to start in April and is likely to take eight weeks. The council have requested that drivers move their cars when requested to allow access, and there is bound to be some temporary inconvenience. Any queries before work begins, contact Stephen Goss on 01604 883449. One work has started contact Tony Gale on 01604 654644.

There are also plans to resurface the road after work on the footpaths are complete, but more information will follow.

The pavement in Kingsley Rd is to be resurfaced on the odd numbered side from No. 33 to No. 125 (from Murray Avenue to the end). Work will start in the new year and is expected to take six weeks, depending on the weather. Cotact Stephen Cross at Atkins (the contractors) for any information before the work starts on 01604 883449 and Tony Gale on 01604 654644 for detailed information regarding progress on site or access when work has started.

It’s good news that at last some work is being done on the Kingsley Rd pavements, but there is much more to be done, and what a shame elderly people will no longer need it to get to the Queens Park post office once it has closed.