Agenda item

Mike Pears, (Team Leader – Highway Asset Management), updated the meeting on issues previously raised, as follows, (minute 45, “Highways Issues”, 28 March 2011 referred):-

·           As previously reported, the City Council had been asked not to substantially alter the shrubs at the junction of Colchester Road and Elmcroft Avenue until the inquest in to the fatal accident there had been held.  Although the Police investigation had now finished, court activity relating to that accident meant that the shrubs still could not be cut back further than their level at the time of the accident;

·           Two types of vehicle activated signs could be used.  The first of these told vehicles to “slow down”, (for example, when approaching a bend in the road), and the second told the driver the speed at which the vehicle was travelling.  The City Council proposed to buy four of these signs.  It previously had been found that they worked for a few weeks in one location, but after that stopped having an effect.  The Council therefore proposed to move them around different areas of the City, the locations being decided in response to accident statistics.  Colchester Road could be included on the list of possible sites;

·           Croyland Green had been inspected, following reports at the last meeting that the access road was being damaged by refuse collection vehicles.  However, no particular problems had been found with the footway and it had not been clear where the problem was.  Members of the public confirmed that the area affected was the central grassed area.  Mike Pears undertook to put forward a proposal that the edges of the verge be hardened and made in to parking bays;

·           The introduction of a dropped kerb in Havencrest Drive had been a condition of the planning permission granted for the flats.  Mike Pears advised that he would write to the owners of the flats, asking that the dropped kerb be created.  This would have to be done at the owners’ expense;

·           The quality of the reinstatements done to pavements after Severn Trent had finished recent work on pipes in the area had been checked.  People were asked to advise the Council of any other problems encountered, so that the Traffic operations team could looked in to each case.  In response to concerns, Mike Pears advised that the amount of tarmac being laid on surfaces would be checked to ensure it was of the right thickness.

During discussion on this item, Mike Pears advised that all roads in the City were checked at least twice a year.  If they were in a bad condition they would be repaired, but the Council did not have enough resources to make all repairs needed.  A member of the public advised that part of Bowhill Grove appeared to be sinking and Mike Pears undertook to investigate this.

Mike Pears further advised that the free application for iphones or Blackberries to help report environmental problems to the City Council was being extended so that it also could be used to report highway and footway issues.  Details of this would be publicised shortly.  It was noted that previous methods of reporting problems still could be used.