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February 2017
Consultations
Consultation is the name of the game nowadays and for consultation junkies the County Council currently has two that you can participate in. You can have your say on highways maintenance plans, a very wide subject which our County Councillor will write about. Tucked away in it under the heading 'Environmental' is something which has been a source of irritation between County and Parish Councils for years.
“Maintenance of Grass verges, trees, hedges, flower and shrub beds,” it says “contributes very little to the serviceability or sustainability of the network but there are aspects of safety and quality of life which need to be considered. Stakeholders acknowledge that these are not key assets but nonetheless expect that they are maintained to a high standard. We will endeavour to reduce the council’s commitments in these areas by involving communities and particularly Parish Councils more directly in the upkeep of their local highways. These options will only be progressed when they can be demonstrated to be at least cost-neutral to the council.” Cynics will think that this means that it would be nice if they could pass on to Parish Councils even more of the bill than they do already.
Traffic Sensitive Streets
You are also invited to share your views on the Traffic Sensitive Streets review. Readers will know how frustrating it is when a planned journey is delayed because of roadworks. Congestion and delays are welcomed by no-one, including bus companies who cite them as reasons why they cannot keep to their timetables.
If roads meet certain criteria, or by agreement with the majority of undertakers known to have apparatus in the street concerned, they can be classified as ‘traffic sensitive streets'. This allows Highway Authorities to control any works on that part of the highway with the objective of minimising disruption to road users. Highway authorities and undertakers should not work in the carriageway of traffic sensitive streets at sensitive times unless there is no alternative, but this may only apply to certain days or even to certain times of day.
Putting aside the A50 the main sensitive routes locally seem to be from the A50/A46 roundabout and along Sacheverell Way, with a short spur from the roundabout up Leicester Road which can be subject to rush hour queues. If there is a traffic sensitive street in the centre of the village it is probably Ratby Road near Fir Tree lane where congestion is severe at the start but particularly the end of the working day, when cars are queuing bumper to bumper to leave the village.
You may be able to think of other stretches that are traffic sensitive, but read what a County Hall spokesperson had to say before you rush off to participate in the consultation before the 20th February deadline. “Whilst we are seeking views, this consultation is primarily aimed at works promoters and we are not seeking requests for additional streets to be included as all streets that meet the criteria have been included. We are happy to receive comments on the proposed traffic sensitive network and the period of designation from the public, however it is unlikely that any requests for additional roads could be justified within the criteria.”
If you are not a ' works promoters' and want a recommendation on whether to participate in the consultation or put the kettle on it sounds as if a cup of tea is the better option.
January 2017
There are lots of things that make motorists angry and one of them is that many roads are in a poor state of repair despite the fact that motorists pay huge amounts into the Government's coffers. The RAC says that in 2015/16 £9.3 billion was spent on roads in Great Britain, less than a third of the £33 billion in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and Fuel Duty collected. And they say that VAT is in addition amounting, for private households, to a total of £12.2 billion raised through motorists buying, running and using their vehicles (in 2012).
Nationally capital spending on local roads maintenance has recently been running at the lowest level since 2001/02 whilst local highways authority maintenance spending reduced by 15 per cent between 2009/10 and 2013/14. Although a further 35 per cent reduction in local highways maintenance budgets is estimated by the end of the decade, a surprise announcement in 2015 indicated that from 2020 all vehicle excise duty funds will be spent exclusively on 'maintaining and developing' UK roads.
But perhaps what really interests motorists is the risk of causing expensive damage to their suspension when hitting a pothole. Highway maintenance is the responsibility of Leicestershire County Council(LCC) locally and everyone should now be well aware of the financial constraints under which the council operates. The Council's 2016 Performance Report shows that in Leicestershire £10.9m of the Highways Capital Maintenance during the year was spent on roads with some funding for 2016/17 coming from the National Pothole Action Fund. The money is being used to support a range of activities including patching and surface dressing.
Leicestershire’s roads are some of the best
“Preventative maintenance has ensured that Leicestershire’s roads are some of the best in the country,” the report says, “with just 2% of the road network considered as potentially requiring some maintenance work. Thanks to preventative maintenance the number of potholes has fallen from 8,478 in 2013 to 5,200 in 2015.” More than a million square metres of local roads were treated in summer 2016 to help to prolong their life by 10 years and increase skid resistance. It seems that Leicestershire has the highest satisfaction rating for the condition of roads at 40%, according to the annual National Highways and Transport survey.
But how do we report road problems?
As part of routine maintenance roads and pavements are inspected by the council at least once a year. Any potholes identified are recorded and added to a list of repairs. If it's a serious problem needing urgent action such as flooding, dangerous paving, mud or debris, obstructions or oil or diesel spillage on the road, missing drain or manhole covers or problems with traffic lights you should call the Customer Service Centre on 0116 305 0001.
Using a simple online form you can tell the County Council about other problems or defects on roads or pavements, including issues like :
Potholes,
Damaged drains or manhole covers
Damage to road signs
White lines
Damage to verges
Grass cutting
Overgrown trees or hedges
When a member of the public reports a pothole LCC ensures an inspector visits and classifies the problem within 14 days. The pothole is classified according to how serious it is and this dictates how quickly it is fixed. Some require prompt attention and if reasonably practicable will be fixed or made safe at the time of inspection. If this is not possible repairs of a temporary, or permanent nature will be done within 3 working days. Defects that do not represent an immediate or imminent hazard have a target repair period of 90 days from being reported by the public or will be included within a planned maintenance programme.
What if my car is damaged by a pothole?
It sounds as if the likelihood of damage is greater when travelling outside Leicestershire. You may be entitled to compensation and the best place to start is by reading the comprehensive guide online at www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/pothole-claims. If you want to report a problem to LCC go to www.leicestershire.gov.uk/popular-now/report-a-road-problem.
October 2010
A proposal to build new homes in Anstey could be bad news for Groby residents, adding to traffic problems at the A46/A50 roundabout. No planning application has yet been made but in October Davidsons, the developer, held an exhibition in Anstey indicating that 200 houses could be built.
The new development would be sited on fields opposite Anstey cemetery, just one kilometre as the crow flies from the A50 intersection. There would only be one exit from the development on to Groby Road, Anstey, and motorists would then have two options. They could turn left towards Anstey and access Bradgate Road at an already difficult junction, or they could turn right towards Groby and join the busy A50 from the slip road near the A46/A50 roundabout. This could be the preferred route if they were travelling to County Hall or towards Leicester or the M1 and wished to avoid the peak hour congestion at the Nook in Anstey.
The exhibition in Anstey attracted many residents, with traffic being one of the major concerns. “I share some of the concerns expressed so far by residents,” said David Snartt, County Councillor for Anstey. “I will be interested to see more detail, especially around the big concern of the extra traffic which will be generated by the proposal, which in my view will add significantly to the high vehicle movements that already exist within the village, especially at peak times.”
Charnwood Borough Councillor John Sutherington stayed for the whole of the exhibition and reported that the extra traffic was one of the key concerns. Concern was expressed about the Bradgate Road exit and the alternative route to the A50.
A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said “ the County Council has had discussions with the developer about the issues they need to address in a traffic assessment which they will need to submit to alongside their planning application. This has been the limit of our involvement so far.”
The exhibition boards produced by Pegasus Planning Group for the developer can be viewed online at www.pegasuspg.co.uk/anstey . The company has indicated that it intends to make a planning application shortly.
Note - a revised application was approved by Charnwood Borough Council.