Cavendish Road and and Albion Road faded signs: these are still not replaced despite promises two years ago. I am told that they have been ordered (I was told this two years ago too).
St John’s Court: the pavements should have been repaired by now but the National Grid got in and dug everything up. They are planning to go back at some point. Herts Highways are awaiting confirmation that the National Grid works are over and anticipate that the pavements will be done in the summer.
Ridgmont Road: both carriageway and footway are disintegrating. I understand that footway repairs are due to take place on the east side which is clearly worse. No date has been given.
Further problem areas notified to Herts Highways
Woodstock Road North footways: the local highways team has applied for footway resurfacing funding from county hall. I have also pointed out the deteriorating state of the carriageway.
Woodstock Road South: I have again pressed for major repairs and have yet to get a positive answer. The temporary repairs which have just appeared are woefully inadequate.
Worley Road: accelerating deterioration (I have reported two potholes in the last week alone). I have been promised that it will be totally resurfaced ‘this year’ but have not been given a definite date
Fix 1 – EXPOSED: 7% CUT IN COUNTY HIGHWAYS EXPENDITURE IN ST ALBANS
Chris White and Sandy Walkington – campaigning on roads
This week Liberal Democrat Group Leader Chris White (St Albans Central) has exposed a hidden 7% cut in highways expenditure planned for St Albans.
In documents not normally made public the Liberal Democrats have found that the County Council has cut its non urgent highways repairs budget, known as Category
2, by over half a million pounds (£568,749) – some 5% against what it
spent last year.
This money is spent on major resurfacing schemes costing less than
£30,000, drainage, road marking renewals, signage, tree maintenance
and kerbing repairs.
Hidden within the figures is a 7% cut for St Albans which will lose £89,000 – on an overall budget now of £1.1 million.
Further examination of the figures has shown that each of the three Liberal
Democrat run district councils (Watford, Three Rivers and St Albans) and the sole Labour authority (Stevenage) in Hertfordshire have all had budget cuts while a number of the Conservative run areas get increases, such as Dacorum
with an extra 10%, taking its spend to £1.3million.
Chris White said: “The Tories claim they are spending extra on highways. If that is the case why are they cutting the amount spent on the works that residents want to see delivered by local highways teams?
“No wonder they are pretending it is the Lib Dems who have planned cuts – they are clearly deeply afraid of residents’ anger.”
Some answers from Herts Highways
1. Holywell Hill – Anti-skid on approaches to pedestrian crossing.
This work has been ordered and is expected to be carried out imminently.
The type of treatment is weather-dependant but it is due to be laid by the
end of this month. On a technical note, it will be shorter in length on the
northbound approach due to the nature of the slower moving traffic in this
lane plus the better visibility that the uphill orientation provides.
2. Sopwell Lane – Speed hump lining.
Sopwell Lane is on this year’s Streetscene programme. As part of these
works, all the roads are re-lined as a matter of course. The ‘visual
widening’ of the humps with a 200mm line instead of a 100mm line, as has
been successfully trialled on Albert Street, will be carried during these
works. The Streetscene programme is currently being scheduled. Therefore,
at this time, we do not have a date but work in Sopwell Lane is likely
during July, though it could be August.
3. Lemsford Road – IWP CWY08526 Thin Surfacing
According to the systems that we have available to us in this office, this
work is scheduled to take place this Summer. We are awaiting confirmation
of this from the Senior Project Manager at Highways House along with
provisional dates. We expect to have this information by the end of this
week which we will in turn pass on to you.
On a separate note, Sopwell Lane will be closed to through traffic (but
remain open at all times for residents’ access and emergency vehicles) this
Thursday 14th May under an Emergency Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.
This is because a section of a retaining wall belonging to Abbey Court on
Holywell Hill has been deemed to be unsafe and therefore needs to be taken
down at the earliest opportunity. The contractors expect the work to take
one day, however it may run into Friday. They will start on Thursday at
09.30, after the morning peak.
I am chasing Herts Highways for firm dates on the following schemes
Holywell Hill: work on crossing to make it more visible. The works oder has been raised.
Sopwell Lane: due to have a sign saying unsuitable for HGVs’ plus extra white paint on the speed humps to slow traffic
Lemsford Road: this is due this year (it should have been last year but Herts Highways changed their mind after telling me and residents). No date available yet despite frequent requests.
This of course is only a selection of the road and pavements schemes which need doing.
So: who is in charge of our roads and pavements?
Commentary
This week’s ‘Review’ contains a remarkable statement from the Conservative councillor who is paid to be in charge of our roads and pavements: ‘Decisions on the highways repair programme are made by highways officers without any political input whatsoever.’
So what Cllr Stuart Pile for? He is paid £30,000 a year for this plum political job and yet claims to have no role in exercising its functions.
The cost of potholes: £30,000 a year for County Councillor Pile not to have an input
The truth, of course, is that he does have a role in all decisions exercised by the county council’s Environment Department. He may choose not to intervene. In the case of the surface dressing scandal he chose not to intervene and so chose not to say that the millions being wasted on unneeded surface dressing of rural roads should be spent instead on those rather obvious urban roads which are now falling to pieces. A decision not to take action is still a decision for which he must carry the can.
If he is not willing to intervene to ensure that our money is spent where it should be then he should step aside for someone who is.
Further matters reported to Herts Highways
Grimston Road: Blue block pavements very uneven
Strong sewage smell at top of Holywell Hill. There appears to be foul water leaking towards the top of the hill.
Give way lines at the bottom of Worley Road and Church Crescent: could be clearer
Dickens Close: loose paving slabs
In addition I have reported two new potholes in Worley Road: this road was ‘repaired’ last year by Herts Highways but poorly. We were promised a full resurface but I have not been given a date. I will be talking direct to Herts Highways about this and other matters on Monday.
Chequer Street to close towards end of May for 3 days
Official notice from the county council
TEMPORARY CLOSING OF A1081 CHEQUER STREET, ST ALBANS
NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council intend to make an Order under Section 14[1] of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit all traffic from using that length of A1081 Chequer Street, St Albans from its junction with A1081 London Road north eastwards to its junction with B691 Victoria Street, a distance of approximately 173 metres, except for access.
The alternative route for traffic will be via:-
A1081 St Peters Street, A1057 Hatfield Road, Beaconsfield Road, B6424 Alma Road and A1081 London Road
Or alternatively via:
A1081 London Road, Marlborough Road and B691 Victoria Street
The purpose of the Order is to enable essential sewerage repair works beneath the carriageway to take place.
It is anticipated that the section of road will be closed for up to 3 days, sometime during the period 24 May 2009 and 26 May 2009, when signs are in place.
Items reported to Herts Highways this week: Hillside Road, Lemsford Road and Avenue Road
Hillside Road: badly broken pavements on far side from Old Lyndale School
Cars cutting corners on St Peter’s Road/Manor Road as they enter Hillside Road: this is a danger to cyclists waiting to go into Hillside Road
Hillside Road: pavements outside number 12 – very bad and need attention
Avenue Road blue blocks: whole pavement needs redoing: including the kerbs
The junction of Lemsford Road and Sandpit Lane is very dangerous: high levels of traffic and a great deal of awkward turning
These were reported in response to your comments and my own observations. I continue to press for action on Lemsford Road resurfacing which Herts Highways promised over a year ago.
Holywell Hill crossing – where are the improvements?
Residents are becoming understandably impatient to see some real action to improve this crossing – especially better signing, a change in road colour and a change in road surface to make it anti-skid.
I have today asked Herts Highways to produce an update.