Talks are to take place early next week between senior officers of Walsall Council and the Highways Agency in Birmingham to thrash out emerging issues around the hard shoulder running project between J8 and J10a of the M6.

The talks have been arranged amid concerns from residents affected by the works being carried out by Carillion on behalf of The Highways Agency along the whole stretch of the project as it passes through Walsall.

Issues started to emerge when it was revealed that more protective fencing and trees would have to be removed between the Lichfield Road and Vernon Way in the New Invention area of Willenhall. This was quickly followed by an outcry from residents of Murdoch Way in the Beechdale area of Walsall as a gantry was erected near their homes inspite of earlier assurances that it would be sited closer to J10.

Residents of Broadmeadows Road in Short Heath, Willenhall where one of the highly emotive Emergency Refuge Areas (ERA) has been constructed, are concerned about a large pool which has appeared at the bottom of the motorway embankment. This pool did not exist before the ERA was constructed.

A resident to the south of the Lichfield Road on the Bloxwich side of the M6 is also concerned about water draining down the embankment causing water-logging of the back garden.

It now appears that sections of protective fencing may have to come out between J9 and J10 to facilitate the construction of the ERA at that location.

My concern is that it appears that lessons have not been learned from the mistakes of the past year and comments from the Highways Agency along the lines of we’ve installed many gantries without any problems don’t help. When is the Highways Agency going to realise that the works between J8 and J10a are like no others they have encountered till now. there is nowhere else on the M6 Links where large numbers of residents live as close to the Motorway.

It’s about time that the Highways Agency realised this and stopped adopting such a cavalier attitude and put the interests of residents first!