THE long-running saga over a blocked up road in Ely has finally been resolved, almost four years after it began.

Cambridgeshire County Council announced on Monday that the concrete blocks separating the Thistle Corner roundabout with the King’s Avenue estate had finally been removed, paving the way for traffic to start using the road.

The news comes after years of wrangling between the county council and developer Barratt Homes, with both sides blaming complex planning regulations for the protracted delay.

Last week, county council leader Nick Clarke and district council leader Peter Moakes met with representatives from Barratt Homes to broker out a deal to get the key junction opened.

The route will enable motorists to access the A10 without having to drive through the centre of Ely. It will also enable shoppers to access the new Sainsbury’s in Lisle Lane, which opened on Wednesday.

Cllr Clarke said in his blog: “The complexity of planning and the regulations that seem to encase the process are often a mystery to me. What I can understand is that sometimes common sense seems to get lost, Thistle Corner in Ely is a case in point. “We seem to have ended up with a new housing estate, a new road and a new roundabout, all built to the correct standard - on the face of it - with a huge lump of concrete in the middle of the road preventing traffic using the road.

“Last week I was able to bring colleagues from the district and county together with the developers to thrash out a solution to moving the concrete.”

Cllr Moakes added: “This is good news for Ely – good for residents, good for business and good for the free flow of traffic through the city. It will enable drivers to cross Ely without having to go through the central streets and will offer far better access to the A10 bypass.”

Ely resident Craig Finbow said: “I live on the estate, at last it’s open! I hope all the street lighting is sorted, then.”

Claire Louise added: “That has to have been six years now that it has been closed, I don’t understand why but glad it is opening finally.”