‘Fix my street’ website may introduce delays

I have discussed this website with Herts Highways officials, after a resident made a complaint. It appears that this website may well introduce a delay and that the quickest way of getting something fixed is to log it directly on the county council’s own website:
http://www.hertsdirect.org/actweb/hfr/default.cfm.

Mind you that doesn’t aways work either: so if you have logged something and nothing appears to have been done then please get hold of me.

Hertfordshire’s Homecare scandal: featured on Panorama tonight

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We have been raising the scandal of the home care service in Hertfordshire for some time. Tonight’s Panorama programme, which interviewed me on a number of occasions, features Care UK, a company that the council was forced to sack just ten months after awarding the contract. Meanwhile, problems rumble on in the rest of the county, not least St Albans.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_7990000/7990682.stm

Highways update

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Holywell Hill crossing:
antiskid surface about to go in. Herts Highways are not sure yet whether a second signal head should go in since this is a conservation area. It is hoped that the changed surface will make the crossing more obvious to motorists.
Junction of Lemsford Road and Hatfield Road: there is an issue of the peculiar camber and also of cars driving on footpath. Maybe talk to the school about whether the pavement could be widened at this point.
Waddington Road: the white lines showing who has priority at the junction with Drovers’Way will be restored by the end of April.
Waddington Road drain: a store is pouring fat down drain. It’s actually a district council issue but the Herts Highways gully crew will anyway give it a clean.
www.sixtofix.co.uk

Pizza Hut hearing today

The Planning inspector was here today to hear views of local residents about the proposal to buld a Pizza Hut on London Road, near the junction with Alma Road. This application was turned down by the district council planning committee.

I was there along with local residents to argue that:
– the area was now saturated with outlets
– that parking would be wholly inadequate
– that there was likely to be congestion and a danger to local residents as customers seeking a takeaway parked on the pavement (as happens elsewhere in London Road)

A further concern was that the application would if successful allow any food outlet – the nature of a successor business could be radically different from a Pizza Hut.

The Inspector will report later in the year.

Six forms suffer major losses through funding error

I have received this information from the county council concerning the shortfall in schools funding.

Revised 16 to 18 funding allocations and their impact on schools

1. Background – National Context

1.1 Schools received a provisional funding allocation for sixth form provision in February of this year. This allocation, which was broadly confirmed early in March, was based on schools’ existing sixth form numbers, from the October 2008 student count.

1.2 The March letter to schools, from the LSC [Learning and Skills Council], indicated that these provisional allocations were dependent upon the Department providing additional funding to meet the consolidated numbers which are running ahead of the level of funding allocated to the LSC from the DCSF [Department for Children, Schools and Families]. Early indications from the DCSF were that steps were being taken to find the additional money to at least fund schools on their October count. However, it has become clear in the last few days that this additional money has not been forthcoming. As a consequence, the DCSF has informed the LSC that it must reduce the funding to schools and colleges. This means that schools with sixth forms (all of Hertfordshire’s Schools) will have their post-16 budgets cut by 3.71%. This is particularly problematic as school budgets have already been set for the new financial year.

1.3 A wide variety of national and regional groups are actively lobbying the DCSF and Treasury to release the money needed to fully fund the number of young people due to take up post 16 education in September 2009.

2. Impact on Hertfordshire’s Schools

2.1 The overall impact on Hertfordshire’s schools is significant. The total shortfall for the academic year 2009/10 will be a little over £3.8m.

2.2 The table below summarises the impact on Hertfordshire’s schools.

Level of the unexpected reduction in funding for the academic year 2009/10

up to £25k: 13 schools
£25k to £50k: 33 schools
£50k to £100k: 24 schools
£100k plus: 5 schools

Highways and parking update

Elm Lawns drop kerb: Herts Highways are awaiting advice on priorities from the St Albans access group
Raymer Close parking problems: this is now out for informal consultation
Bardwell Road: residents were keen to see yellow lines down the side road, which, strangely enough, turns out to be a district council road. Yellow lines will now go down and will be enforced once in.
Proposed parking restrictions on Churchill and Jennings Roads: no objections have been received so these will now go ahead shortly.

Why is the junction of Station Way and Hatfield Road in such a mess?

1. This area is no longer a railway responsibility but the responsibility of Linden Homes. Herts County Council has chased them to improve the road surface.
2. First Capital Connect have chased Linden Homes to clear the site of litter.
3. Herts Highways are awaiting confirmation from the surveyor for Verulam Point to agree to the necessary structural retaining wall which will run alongside the expanded junction. Once this has been received Herts Highways will issue a permit to work.

This is a tangled web which is taking far too long.

Further highways update

Ridgmont Road closure: the damaged barrier separates the private and public parts of the road. Local councillors have felt there is merit in regularising the closure, which was imposed unilaterally by Railtrack (Network Rail’s predecessor), so that the council has control over the stoppage and over maintaining any barrier. This requires some complex legal work. Officials are chasing this.
St John’s Court: work was due to have started replacing the pavements but very obviously a utility company has been at work there. This has slowed the pavement replacement process.
Beechwood Avenue: this is agan showing serious signs of wear. It is on the list for 10/11 but it’s acknowledged that the patches are beginning to fail. Herts Highways are trying to bring it forward a year.
Beaumont Avenue: HH are requesting funds for a full resurfacing

Highways update

Woodstock Road South – emergency funding has now requested from county hall by the local highways teams
Junction of Avenue Road and Sandridge (Stonecross safety scheme): this is now penciled in for Autumn. It should make it safer for both motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Cecil Road: the replacement signs are expected shortly (but they have been a long time coming)
Dropped kerbs: there are many areas of the city where there need to be dropped kerbs for wheelchair and pushchair users. A list has been drawn up in liaison with the St Albans access group – and some work will be done this month.