The Easthampstead Road closure linked to the South Wokingham Distributor Road works is expected to last around ten months, removing vital pedestrian and cycle access to the south and west of Wokingham.

The blanket closure has caused significant distress, concern, frustration and disruption for residents in Wokingham and surrounding areas. 

The closure represents an unreasonable and disproportionate severance of our community, with a serious impact on residents’ wellbeing and ability to access local routes safely and practically.

The current diversion is not a reasonable substitute. At just under two miles, it is too long and impractical for many everyday users, including school children, older residents, cyclists, dog walkers, residents with limited mobility and wheelchair users.

We ask Wokingham Borough Council and Balfour Beatty to urgently provide:

1. Safe temporary pedestrian corridors, using rigid hoarding or safety fencing, to separate pedestrians from construction activity and maintain access wherever practicable.
2. Phased pedestrian access windows, such as weekend or out-of-hours openings, during periods when no heavy machinery is actively operating across the affected route.
3. Publication of the site-specific risk assessments showing that managed access, phased reopening and temporary protected pedestrian routes have all been properly considered, and that continued full closure is genuinely unavoidable.