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Highways
Information
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Latest Highways
News January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
June 2009
April/May 2009
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Bouthrey Bridge Repairs Bouthrey Bridge (between Nibthwaite and Water Yeat): Please note that this bridge is closed and is NOT safe for pedestrians. 26th February update: PUBLIC MEETING 11th March, 7.00 pm, Water Yeat to discuss reconstruction options. Click here for more details. 16th February update: The Council is being consulted on options for repair/replacement of Bouthrey Bridge over the River Crake, scheduled for repair in October this year. The 3 options are essentially i) demolish and replace both arches ii) re-build just the upstream side and repair and stabilise the rest iii) replace the bridge with a new pre-cast concrete rectangular beam deck. An early response from the Council has been requested. Please contact the Clerk if you would like to see the plans and express an opinion. However, we are considering, with Blawith, holding a public meeting in the next fortnight.
22nd December update: Our
County Councillor reports:
"The
bridge is damaged and the arch may have sunk a little. Part of the
arch on the upstream side has gone. They will not even consider
using it for pedestrians which is causing the farmer there big
problems." It is scheduled for a full inspection shortly.A
meeting is scheduled in the New Year of Colton and Blawith
Parish Councils and both County Councillors to make a case for a
temporary arrangement for the bridge.
From Keith Masser, Acting Area Highways Engineer: Repair proposals are being developed for the bridge and those will include a likely timescale. As far as the practicality and likelihood of any temporary arrangement is concerned, I could not really advise you as I am not a structural engineer. I think the best approach would be for yourselves and the Parish Councils to provide as complete a picture as is possible of the issues and impact that the bridge is causing and likely to cause over the next few months if mitigation measures are not put in place, together with any suggestions or proposals that local people may have, and I shall arrange for these to be considered as part of the repair assessment and our bridges engineers can then advise you as to the proposals and options analysis so that you can then further input to the process - via a site meeting if then necessary.
As far as the Coniston 14 Road Race
is concerned, as a runner and ex-organiser of quite a few
events, some of which had to be cancelled or postponed,
I definitely understand the frustration and potential
disappointment of the event organisers. I also appreciate the
need for them to be given some certainty as to plans for the
bridge in terms of timescale. However, I am also aware that
quite a number of events had to be cancelled in 2008 because of
the wet summer, some of them much larger than the Coniston 14
Road Race - and possible cancellation is a risk that all
outdoor event organisers sometimes have to face. That said, we
want everyday life in Cumbria, including tourism and visitor
activity, to be restored as quickly as possible and we will
certainly take the event into account.
The frequenty asked questions
website link that I sent you previously will be updated as the
various situations develop but in the meantime I shall ask that
you are kept updated as to any new developments or information
on Bouthrey Bridge.
16th December update from Keith Masser, Acting Area Engineer for South Lakeland | Cumbria Highways, Environment | Cumbria County Council, County Offices| Kendal | Cumbria | LA9 4RQ: "The Bouthrey Bridge has now been inspected and repair works identified. The next stage is to look at timescales for restoring this and the other damaged bridges in Cumbria back to a usable condition, together with a decision in some cases as to whether any bridges should not only be repaired but upgraded. We are still in the information gathering and assessment stage and I am not in a position to advise on repair timescales yet but I hope to have more information next week. I understand following the recent inspection that the basic damage repair option would include reconstruction of a missing section of pier, reconstruction of damaged arch rings, reconstruction of collapsed spandrel wall and parapets; plus saddling the arches with concrete and masonry repointing for structural integrity.Given the extent of damage to the bridge, it is not considered safe to open to pedestrian traffic which would, in any event, also likely encourage use for the movement of livestock and consequential increased loadings."
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Who to Contact for Highways Problems: 1. Highway/Parish Stewards via Councillor Penny Lovegrove : 01229 861091 (email lovegrovebouth@btinternet.com ) for:
Please note that requests for work on the highways should not be addressed to either Steward directly, but to Penny on lovegrovebouth@btinternet.com or 01229 861091. A map or map reference for the problem would be very helpful. The Highways Hotline (see below) is available as the first port of call for emergency highway problems but we are now able to employ the service of both Stewards as part of a planned programme of work. We hope you will see a big difference over the coming year and would welcome feedback. 2. Highways Hotline (24/7 service): 0845 609 6609 or Email contact@cumbriahighways.co.uk for:
South Lakeland District Council (0845 050 4434 or go to: www.southlakeland.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=2442 )
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Highway Steward
Cumbria Highways, the partnership between Cumbria County Council, Amey and Capita Symonds, now employs Highway Stewards to provide a service which will be highly responsive to local needs in rural areas. A number of Highway Stewards have been appointed throughout the County, each responsible for a local ‘patch’ or grouping of parishes within a ‘Local Area Partnership’ (LAP) area. The Stewards are equipped with tools and a van and will be trained to deal with many day-to-day jobs such as clearing blocked gullies and digging drainage channels, cleaning, repairing and replacing signs, weeding and cutting back overhanging vegetation and doing some road surface repair work. They find and fix many kinds of highways problems in their areas, are able to call in extra resources for bigger jobs and help inspectors and engineers identify areas where major works might be needed. The Highways
Stewards ideally live close to the communities they serve, and build
working relationships with their parishes, councillors and other key
figures in the area. In this way, they benefit from a wealth of
local knowledge that helps them to keep on top of the small but
important jobs that often make the most difference to local people.
Colton's Highway Steward is Mr Adam Tyson (pictured), who started work in October 2008. Adam will be working in Colton Parish for around a week to 10days at a time, 6-7 times a year. Adam works in cooperation with Mr Slater, our Parish Steward (Lengthsman), and both will be coordinated via our Councillor for Highways: Penny Lovegrove. |
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Parish Steward (Lengthsman)
The two Stewards will complement each other and work closely together to tackle the highway problems throughout our large parish. Adam will have the authority to work on the road surface; Chris brings his expertise to roadside problems. Penny Lovegrove is the liaison person for both. |
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Winter 09/10
December - As far as we are aware only one salt heap has appeared in the Parish - mysteriously at Springfield, Colton - we don't know how it got there or why salt appeared there and no-where else! We have been onto the Area Highways Engineer for urgent delivery of salt. Our County Councillor is also on the case. We cannot believe that despite all our complaints and the consequent reassurances of last winter that we are in the same boat once again.... The one positive development is the routine gritting of the Penny Bridge to Hawkshead road. October- the Parish Council sent in its map of salt bins and heaps required for the coming winter. Winter 08/09 Update - March: We have been in helpful correspondence with Mr Rob Lawley, Cumbria Highways, who is taking on board our complaints about the lack of salt/grit this winter, along with those from neighbouring parishes. We are preparing a map of salt bins and heaps - existing and proposed - for him to work with. He is also investigating the possibility of making the Penny Bridge-Colton-Satterthwaite-Grizedale road a priority 2 route for routine gritting, which we are strongly supporting. He has offered to come and speak to the Parish Council at our meeting on 22nd June at Colton Church Hall. Update (Tues 20th Jan): 2 new salt bins have been provided (via our County Councillor, Ted Walsh) and have now been installed at Rusland Cross and Bent Hawes - and they contain some salt! Update (Thurs 8th Jan): Salt has now been delivered to some parts of the parish and the road from Penny Bridge through to Oxen Park and up to some parts of Rusland has also been salted a couple of times over the recent cold period. However, I know that Rusland has STILL had no deliveries of salt to heaps/bins. We are writing to Cumbria Highways - our own letter, plus a joint submission with other neighbouring Councils - to complain about the lack of salt provision and to ask them to put in place a proper procedure to plan for the winter and deliver salt/grit well in advance in future. Update (Thurs 11th Dec): Salt has at last been delivered (Wednesday 10th December) to bins and heaps between Tottlebank and Rusland, though unfortunately none yet at Bent Hawes (notorious spot) where this morning the road was like glass.... Hopefully more salt will be delivered soon. As you may know, Cumbria Highways do not salt minor roads, which form the vast majority of highways in our parish (see their webpage: 'priority routes' for salting - from which you should be able download the "winter driving" leaflet that shows a map of salted roads). They are, however, supposed to stock our salt bins and provide salt heaps at key locations throughout the parish, for us to spread on a voluntary basis. It seems that we have not been visited by the salt vans this winter and stocks are very low or non-existent. Many thanks to those who have rung in to let us know about the lack of salt. We have been onto Cumbria Highways to replenish our bins and salt heaps and have asked for this to be done as a matter of urgency. We were promised some by 4th December. No vans have been yet to deliver salt, although a gritter was sent up the road from Penny Bridge to Whitestock and over Bessie Bank on Friday 5th, which is something for those living on this route - but we STILL have not had a delivery of salt. I rang again - they say they will deliver some next week (wb 8th). We also enquired about the procedure for ensuring these are topped-up, and have been told that it varies year-on-year and that there is no regular system in place. We will be writing to Cumbria Highways to ask for clarification of procedures for provision of salt, in the hope that some kind of system is established in future. Watch this space. Our County Councillor (Ted Walsh) has arranged for us to have 2 additional salt bins at notoriously slippery locations at Bent Hawes (below Tottlebank cross-roads) and probably at Hall Brow (south of Oxen Park), which should be installed shortly. 7th December 2008
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haven't seen any but please let me know if any have appeared in
your area... Thanks...In addition, the bin at Bent Hawes appears
to have been left on its side and no grit
delivered to it, but a heap of grit left about 50 yards
away.....! arrggghhhh 
