Last Tuesday the District Council discussed the “Local Determined” Highways Budget for 2006-7 . The County Council obviously have substantial funds for highways matters. Rather than decide themselves how they are going to spend all their budget , they call some of it the “Local Determined” bit , and then ask District Councillors and Parish Councils for suggestions on how to spend it. They then show us list of all the suggestions, with recommendations on what we should agree to.
The trouble is , the money for Rochford District is only ?73000 – enough for one Puffin crossing, for example. So we spent much of the meeting looking at lists of stuff that aren’t going to be done this year.
Chris Lumley made it a good night for his residents in Eastcheap and Cheapside East. They wanted parking restrictions but the County Council hadn’t given it high enough priority for it to be done this year. However Chris produced a very strong speech, explaining that commuters were coming from as far away as Wickford to park there and that dustcarts and emergency vehicles were having problems. Chris Black then suggested that these roads be given a higher priority than a scheme proposed for Spa Road Hockley. Tory leader Terry Cutmore very kindly supported us, saying that Chris Lunley had made a very good case, and so it was agreed. Hopefully these roads will get yellow lines this year….
Anyway, this is a summary of what was agreed and what schemes missed out for this year:
None of the suggested 8 sites for a pedestrian crossing were included in the County’s programme! These included Station Road Rayleigh and Main Road Hockley.
Main Road junction with Folly Lane- Junction improvements ?15000
Hullbridge Road Rayleigh – Fencing improvements ?2500
Stambridge village gateway enhancement to enforce speed limit through village.
Only one scheme was approved . This was in Lambourne Hall Road Canewdon -from Althorne Way to the Village Hall ?15,000
11 other requests didn’t get any funding (schemes in Barling and Ashingdon just missed out)
For various new signs and lining works and other small works ?5000
These replace the old “Speed Kills” Signs and will be moved around the district between the following locations:
Ashingdon , Ashingdon Road,- verge by substation southbound
Barling – in vicinity of Barling School
Great Wakering, High Street – verge approaching Little WakeringRd
Great Wakering, Shoebury Road ? Cupids Corner to New Road
Hawkwell , Rectory Road- vicinity Ironwell Lane
Hawkwell, Rectory Ave ? vicinity Avon Close and Doulton Way
Hawkwell , Main Road ? vicinity Mount Bovers and Tudor Way
Hockley , High Road ? vicinity Bullwood Hall Lane
Hockley, Greensward Lane ? verge opposite Harrogate Drive
Hockley , Church Road ? vicinity of railway bridge
Hullbridge, Lower Road ? Long Lane to Hillcrest Ave
Rawreth – Rawreth Lane ? eastbound approach vicinity of 30mph
Rayleigh – Rawreth Lane- vicinity Thakes Transport
Rayleigh, London Road ? verge approaching Little Wheatleys Chase
Rayleigh, Hockley Road ? vicinity of Fitzwimarc School
Rayleigh Trinity Road ? vicinity of Broad Oak Way
Rochford – Southend Rd ? vicinity of Rochfort Drive and at The Ridings
Rochford – Hall Road ? by church entrance Ashingdon Road
Rochford ? vicinity of Holt Farm School
Stambridge – Stambridge Road at Village Entrance
Agreed – all can hopefully be done within a budget of ?15000:
Keep Clear at all schools in the District
Bramerton Road Hockley Request for 2No disabled parking bays relocated from Spa Rd . Bays in Spa Rd to become limited waiting
Kestrel Grove Rayleigh Extend 1 hour parking ban
Ferry Road East side between The Drive and Windermere Ave. Waiting restrictions
Clarence Road Rayleigh Extend No waiting to include Lilian Place and Warwick Rd
Hill Ave Hawkwell Junction protection requested
Brook Road Rayleigh Waiting and loading restriction north side only
Crouchmans Ave Gt Wakering- Request for Junction Protection
Lower Road Hullbridge/Hockley ? Long Lane to a point west of Church Road
Eastcheap, Rayleigh Extend ?No waiting at any time?
Cheapside East Rayleigh Extend waiting restrictions
Quite a few, including increaing 1/2 hour waiting in Rayleigh High Street to 1 hour
– continuing with an ongoing programme across the district for ?5000
B1013 Hockley Continue with upgrade from Great Eastern Road towards Hawkwell – ?10000
Survey Ferry Road Hullbridge for proposed upgrade – ?500