Why close the ford at Hinxton?

At Hinxton and Ickleton parish councils this week people were asking why the ford at Ickleton had been closed and then kept closed after some heavy rain. Drivers were bowling along assuming in the current heat wave the ford would be open to find it  remained closed with te newly installed gates in operation.

For local journeys especially taking children to school the route via the ford is a quick and pleasant alternative to driving up to Duxford and then back down again. I have asked the highways team for a site visit as the construction of the new gates also means that cyclists cannot easily use the footbridge that runs alongside - which seems a bit of a missed opportunity.