The local highways panel met yesterday . Here’s some snippets:
Ashingdon Road
There was a lot of anger about the state of Ashingdon Road. It is overdue for resurfacing, but despite repeated promises , it hasn’t been done.
After some years of complaints from councillors like Gill Lucas-Gill,? resurfacing was promised for this Easter , then this summer, now next summer. The latest problem is a cast iron gas main that ‘s been found there. And apparently a detailed design for the works? hasn’t been? prepared yet, and the design itself will take seven months. As you can imagine, Mrs Lucas Gill was very critical of County Highways…
And the promise of repairs next summer is ‘if funding is available”.
Pedestrian Crossing in Hullbridge Road, opposite Lubards Farm.
We’ve avoided this being killed off, there will be another traffic and pedestrian survey in September.
800 Designs To Do
Later on in the meeting Chris Black probed further into the question of ”designs’. It seems there are 800 highways schemes? in Essex that are still waiting for designs to be prepared!? There’s about 20 highways officers to do them.
Some of these schemes are very small – the installation of a couple of bollards, for example – but even so it’s another sign of how things have gone wrong at County Highways.
?Safety Schemes Approved
The panel agreed a number of safety schemes at:
Junction of Ashingdon Road with Dalys Road and Roche Avenue, Rochford
Junction of Ashingdon Road with West Street and Hall Road, Rochford
Junction of Lower Road with Church Road , Hullbridge
Junction of Warwick Road with Clarence Road, Rayleigh
Rayleigh Weir – the slip road from the A127 eastbound into Rayleigh.
All of these sites are where there have been accidents in the past. Some of the sites involve some minor engineering works, such as a ‘compact urban roundabout’ at the first location. But it’s noticeable that some of the issues identified in the report are simply proper maintenance. For example, with the 3rd site one road sign is covered with graffiti and another by moss, with the 4th site the road surface and road markings are in poor condition, with the last scheme there is overgrown vegetation!
Hullbridge Road Bus Stop
At a previous meeting it was agreed in principle to move the bus stop opposite Hambro Parade, Rayleigh? a little way up the hill towards Down Hall Road .? The idea is to install a bus layby on the wide grass verge in order to reduce cars queuing behind stationary buses. This is being opposed by neighbouring residents who came along and spoke very eloquently at yesterday’s? meeting, They would prefer to leave the bus stop where it is, or if it has to be moved, down near Ferndale Road. Anyway, a design and safety audit will be prepared to see if moving it is actually feasible.
Two Rawreth Issues
Before the meeting Chris Black discussed drainage problems in Rawreth Lane with a couple of officers. (the problem is opposite the junction with Laburnum Way).
Also, the panel agreed to installing a gate in London Road Rawreth, to close off a disused hammerhead that is attracting crime and ASB. Regular attenders at Rawreth Parish Council will know where this is – and in fact the minutes of the JUn 2009 Rawreth PC meeting were included in the agenda as supporting evidence.
Chair and Vice-Chair:
The panel consists of 5 County Councillors: Colin Seagers , Malcolm Maddocks and Terry Cutmore (all Tory) , Michael Hoy (Green) and Keith Gibbs (UKIP) plus 5 District Coucnillors Keith Hudson, Gill Lucas-Gill , Toby Mountain and Mike Steptoe (all Tory) and Chris Black (Lib Dem).Colin Seagers was elected Chair. Keith Gibbs then proposed Chris Black and Vice-Chair (no political clash between UKIP and LIb Dem here!) but Chris declined. Keith Hudson was then chosen as vice-chair.