Interactive signs in Whittlesey to highlight flooding and A47 crashes get funding

The board of the mayoral body approved Whittlesey’s application for £57,500 funding which will give alerts for traffic going from Whittlesey to Peterborough.

The funding will pay for the installation, maintenance and management of three signs at key locations in Whittlesey, which have not been disclosed.

The indicators will warn when floods close the B1040 and when the A47 is closed by accidents and when roadworks are affecting traffic in the area.

The money is part of the first tranche of proposals to help Cambridgeshire’s historic market towns ‘get fit for the future’.

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£13m fund to boost market towns across Cambridgeshire approved

Interactive flooding signs in Whittlesey could be on their way

Eleven market towns across the county are in the process of bidding for shares in £13.1 million from the combined authority to help them build the future they want – with Fenland and Huntingdonshire towns first in line for funding.

Wisbech’s proposal for £200,000 for Market Place improvements was also approved, while the Huntingdonshire market towns of St Ives, Ramsey, and Huntingdon received £300,000 to engage consultant specialists to develop business and investment cases. These will help them make further bids to the combined authority and government for funding.

The money for the projects will be spent immediately with funds having to be spent by March 31, 2022.

All proposals are asked to demonstrate how market towns can support the Covid-19 recovery, reflecting new patterns of homeworking, use of public transport, active travel, the workplace, community space and improvements on high streets.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer said: “I’m delighted the first tranche of proposals has got the thumbs-up. This is about getting our unique market towns fit for the future.

“Historically neglected, they’re crucial to our whole region, both as communities and as social and economic hubs, and the combined authority is committed to helping each one prosper, taking their surrounding communities forward with them.

“More people live in our market towns than in our cities. They are Cambridgeshire’s backbone – and they should be its powerhouse too.

“They’ve already got a fantastic history and I want them to have a fantastic future as well. That means investment and that’s what the combined authority is putting in, along with fighting tirelessly for the road and rail infrastructure that joins up, links in and levels up.”