Council leader to urge Transport Secretary to sanction improvements to Manningtree level crossing

Councillors in Essex are planning to write to the Transport Secretary in a bid to force through improvements to a busy level crossing in the county.

Drivers often face big queues when the gates are closed at Manningtree, and an alternative height and width-restricted underpass often can't cope with demand.

Lobbying for improvements to the crossing, where the A137 meets the Norwich-London mainline, was identified as a priority for Tendring District Council earlier this year, but progress has been described as "slow."

Leader Neil Stock has now indicated that he will write to Chris Grayling and ask him to look at the issue as a "matter of urgency."

“We have made strenuous efforts in an effort to get some short-term improvements made now whilst working towards a longer-term solution that will solve the problem once and for all," Cllr Stock said.

"But even getting a simple traffic light system installed to control thetraffic flow under the rail line has so far failed to materialise and I find that failure of action to be totally unacceptable.

“I propose therefore to write to the Transport Secretary and ask him personally to look at this issue as a matter of urgency."