Members will discuss flooding at Mill Lane, Little Paxton and other key flood affected roads at the Highways and Transport Committee next week (Tuesday, 4 March).
A motion was agreed at Full Council last year, for the Highways and Transport Committee to assess whether an options appraisal for Mill Lane is good value for money, and whether there are other areas which could benefit.
Mill Lane in Little Paxton forms an important link between St Neots, Little Paxton and the A1 trunk road in Huntingdonshire and has two bridges over the River Great Ouse. High rainfall in 2024 led to the road being closed due to flooding on four occasions. These closures were lengthened by the damage to the road surface caused by fast-moving floodwater. In October 2024, the road was repaired and strengthened at a cost of approximately £15,000.
Councillors will hear how the council works closely with flood groups, including the chair of the St Neots Flood Action Group. They have already carried out considerable research into the historic drainage of the area surrounding Mill Lane. Officers from the Flood Risk team met them on site in January along with officers from the Environment Agency. The chair of the Flood Group has identified some small scale works that could be completed to reduce the frequency and duration of flooding of Mill Lane and these are subject to further investigation.
Work to investigate and address flooding across Cambridgeshire more widely is already underway and St Neots is included within this project. This work would be used to inform any options taken forward at Mill Lane.
The Environment Agency is also undertaking a ‘Great Ouse Strategic Intervention Study’ to better understand the current and future flood risk from river and surface water sources across the Great Ouse Catchment.
Councillors will also hear that a programme to upgrade electronic flood signage is underway. The first place to receive them is Little Paxton, and new signs are also planned for Earith and Welney Wash, in conjunction with Norfolk County Council. These are all expected to be installed by June.
The committee will be asked to note the ongoing measures being undertaken in relation to flooding, and whilst the paper recommends that the Mill Lane options appraisal does not represent best value for money, councillors will be asked to note an allocation of £250k to support alternative measures is included in the proposed highways capital maintenance programme. If agreed, £100k will be allocated towards the short-term interventions to support flood risk and improved recovery times at Mill Lane and £150k for a high-level options assessment for three key flood affected roads at Little Paxton, the A1123 at Earith and the B1040 at Whittlesey.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We know how frustrating the road closures at Little Paxton have been particularly when extended due to flood related damage. We've been working with our engineers, the Environment Agency and the local flood action group on tangible measures to both reduce the frequency of flooding and make the road more resilient when it does flood.
“There is more work to be done though, it’s important we spend our money wisely and work together on a holistic approach to flood resilience. We should be complementing the work already being carried out in the area, looking at historic flood data and helping other roads affected by flooding such as in Earith and Whittlesey. If approved, this funding will deliver real improvements at Little Paxton whilst also allowing us to take a more strategic look both here and in other flood prone areas. I look forward to the debate.”
The committee papers are published on our website and the meeting will be live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel.
