Gates to be put in flooding hotspot

It's to stop motorists, who ignore road closed signs, getting stuck in a ford at Watery Gate Lane in Thurlaston.

The scheme will cost around £65,000 and the county council has now pledged to pay 75 per cent of the funds following refusal by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council to contribute towards the scheme.

Blaby District Council has agreed to pay the remainder towards the gates.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Motorists have been ignoring warning signs and too often trying to cross the ford on Watery Gate Lane when the water levels have risen. This leads them to breakdown and either our highways department or the fire service being called out. 

“We are grateful for the support from Blaby District Council and working with them and the local flood warden to support the fire service we are confident these gates will act as more of a deterrent.”

Between 2014 - 2018 the fire service has been called out 10 times and the county council’s highways department attended 19 times to Watery Gate Lane.