Encouraginng each other to be assertive is something that is very important to me!
Relying on others can be very frustrating. People using their own initiative can often achieve far more. Self belief is important!
We llive in a town where this already happens so much . It will be natural for us as to do this more and more..
Last December Andrew Moss , Head of Cumbria Highways, made his promise that Union Lane would be completed "Early in the new year" : it is now June and still the junction with Stanley Street is unfinished.
It has still an unfinished road surface.
It still has no road markings.
There is now a ramp to negotiate.
Lives, especially those of inexperienced young children, part of large families with push chairs are being put at risk as they attempt to travel every morning to school,and then again at home time.
By contrast there are many over eighty year olds that are now very waryof using this intersection because of the chaotic situation left by CCC Highways department.
There is substantially more traffic because of the new estate up the lane.
Contrary to the planning agreement, Persimmons have allowed their delivery lorries to access their building site aggravating the situation at this extremely dangerous junction.These vehicles have stopped using their agreed access through the Health centre
Almost daily there is danger of a serious road accident with cars turning up the lane round a blind corner and meeting approaching cars having to negotiate past dangerously parked vehicles.
Because of the lack of road markings the end of the road is being used for parking, sometimes by large vans leaving visibility very difficult.
Several people have left notes on parked vehicles to point out the danger of the way cars and vans have been parked, warning of near head on accidents that they only just avoided.
Neighbours have been left to try to regulate this dangerous intersection themselves.
Local people feel deserted because of the disinterest of their councillors: where is County Cllr James Airey when you want him?
District Cllr Helen Irving and local Town Cllrs Colin Pickthall, Margaret Hornby and again Irving are unavailable.
This is a vary serious situation. Who is going to do their job and see this endless disruption and chaos brought to an end.
Are people that use this intersection: young children, the aged and regular road users being seriously let down by incompetent officers and councillors?
a pedestrian points to the ramp across the road that they tropped over
Thestate of this intersection :notice the obstructively parked car because there are no road markings
We are being warned that the melting of the artic ice cap releases 7,500 cubic kilometers of icy melt water that if winds change could flow south and disrupt the flow of the Gulf Stream.
Reliable scientists estimate that we will lose heat equivalent to the amount that can be generated by a million power stations
It's now a fortnight since we requested a meeting with our county councillor James Airey.
Progress on the work down Market street in the last fortnight has been extremely slow.
At this rate of progress, the work will not be completed by April 29th the day the Flag Festival is due to start which features this very street.
Of the festivals in the town, this is the one that our traders feel brings the most benefit to the town; others certainly have an impact but for the most part result in little trade and in the case of the Dickensian Festival can cause considerable disruption to shop trade.
Many of the traders are deeply upset with the casual approach by Amey towards getting the work done quickly and the apparent lack of concern from the County Highways Department.
Questions are being asked as to how this contract was set up and whether there is a penalty clause in Amey's contract for overrunning.
Was even a completion date agreed?
The traders want answers and their politicians to take action.
It shows the projected path of a truck entering Union Lane around a blind corner.
The shaded black shaded area represents a pedestrian pavement which is driven over.
The movement of pedestrians along Union Lane wasn't even discussed at the planning meeting.
Councillors were not even aware of the Persimmon's 30 page Transport Statement from which this diagram is taken.
In this plan above, pedestrians have to cross the road at the most dangerous place in the road: the location of a blind corner.
This will become the most dangerous intersection in Cumbria.
Time was not given to raise this issue because Cumbria County Highways chose to ignore it saying that there weren't any problems with the proposed plans.
Their total statement to the planning committee reads:
"I can confirm that the proposal is broadly acceptable to Cumbria Highways. The development will fall under advance payments code procedure operated by Cumbria County Council, and roadworks must be constructed to an adoptable standard.
"I accept the recommedations of the safety audit and developers notes, provided these are followed.
"Conditions regarding construction details of roads and footpaths and the provision of parking for vehicles associated with the construction works are recommended."
How can there not be problems when 60 additional cars in the new development start to use this lane.
Those of us that live here never/rarely turn round this corner in this way. We approach the lane from the north where visibility is good.
Will the new residents on the development all be this careful?
Safety issues were not discussed at the meeting because of the above statement by CCC. The issues were confined to the need for housing , especially affordable housing, and the preservation of the old wall that is within the conservation area.
Because of the weak statement from CCC , we believe that the decision of the planning committee is unsafe and will be challenging it if at all possible.
Colin Hodgson went specially to the planning meeting today in Kendal in order to support the arguments put forward by the people on his patch.
He spoke well and effectively.
Sadly we were not able to persuade the other councillors that the bland report by the Highways Department where they said that there were no problems should be challenged. This was even though in 2005 and since, they have drawn attention to the dangers at the intersection of Union Lane and Stanley St.
What's going on behind the scenes that they no long report the hazards they saw there before in 2005.
Do people feel that there may be backhanders being passed between the developers and the highways officials?
Sent off this morning to chief executive jill.stannard@cumbriacc.gov.uk, Corporate Director of Environment marie.fallon@cumbriacc.gov.uk see the Cumbria County web site ccccopy to James Airey :
Do you think your contractors respect you?
Neither do we in Ulverston.
Your Highways Department have authorised Amey to work on the setts ( cobbles) down market street.
Today they will continue to do work they see as totally unnecessary : ripping up perfectly good cobbles and relaying them again. At the same time they will not be relaying cobbles further down the street that they agree need doing much more.
They think the County Council are crazy and say so on video.
In view of this poor management by the Cumbria County Council, where your contractors are ridiculing your decisions, do you not think your salaries are over inflated?
We await your reply with interest.
Dr Geoff Dellow
Here is a press release that has just been put out:
Highways Contractors today agreed that what they were being asked to do was crazy - something they have come to expect from Cumbria County Council.
Here on video Amey contractors agree that in the course of doing work to cost the tax payer £150,000. they are being told to rip up a perfectly good cobbled highway, and then relay it when further down the street cobbles that do need relaying will be left.
This situation was foreseen and warned against in a video made six weeks ago which resulted in an interview with James Airey the County Councillor for the area.
Sadly however it seems that James Airey has been unable to change their minds. This is a legacy of the former Head of Highways for this area Nick Raymond who has been moved sideways and a new person appointed
Ulverstonians and shopkeepers are furious that not only is the money being badly spent but that the work has disrupted the commercial functioning of the town in particular items popular market for six weeks already .
Yet in another six weeks of disruption unnecessary work is being done AND the job will only be half finished so that to get all the cobbles in good condition the town will be subjected to disruption yet again in the future.
What is particularly galling is that had the County Highways Dept being doing their job of monitoring the quality of work done in the past by contractors when the replaced the cobbles, then this expensive work wouldn't be necessary at all.
At this very minute Amey on the instructions of the County Council are digging up perfectly good cobbles only to stop work at the bank corner at Union Street and leave the mess of uneven cobbles below.
The Amey contractor agrees that the County Council are Crazy.
This video has already attracted 120 viewings in a few days - something I've never witness before which shows there's a lot of interest.
So why has the press written nothing yet?
Is this why we need this blog?
Meanwhile we foot the bill and put up with the inconvenience and the killing off of trade on our High Street.
What do people think of the way our £100,000 are being spent in repairing the cobbles on Market Street?
On the positive side :
1. The quality of work is high.
2. They are using recommended materials and as far as I'm aware the good procedures similar to those used by Preston Council when they repair setts.
This includes the use of "Ulracrete Flowpoint" - recommended by Preston.
3. They have started further up Market Street than I expected , thus catching some severe depressins that attracted polls of water and hnce deterioration.
On the down side:
1. Work is going very slowly
2. Some shopkeepers who work hard and hence have a thriving/good business, are not impressed with the poor work ethic -starting work late, leaving early - standing around in groups for what appear long times chatting.
This is our chance to see the workings of local government at close quatres - you can even sit, have a coffee and watch the action outside!
It's a time when The County Council can impress us or still leave a nasty taste in our mouths.
A chance for IT Shaw our local firm working with Amey to impress us with the standard and speed of their work.
As you might expect - and you might like to warn them - I'm filming them from time to time and will be putting the result on Youtube so that these firms can attract further contracts - or otherwise. If you keep close tabs on the work you can judge for yourself whether my future comments are appropriate.
Lastly, its a chance for James Airey and Peter Hornby our two County Councillors to show that they are 'on the ball' and well aware of what is happening giving praise and critism where appropriate.
1. That cobbles well up into the market square have been taken up rather than just those close to the junction with New Market street. Let's hope that this will apply at the lower end of Market Streetso that work extends right past the junction with Union Street.
2. That I.T.Shaw, a local firm are doing the work, presumably subcontracted to Amey. What they've done elsewhere in the town - The Gill and the path at the bottom of Hoad has been excellent.
This is looking very promising. Well done Highways department: so far very good!
These are obviously my views and you will have to use your judgement to decide whether you agree with my logic.
First premise: that when a hole has to be dug in a cobbled street in can be repaired in a way that will be entirely satisfactory to nearly everyone.
How effective the repair is, depends on the standard of workmanship and not the problem itself.
This has been shown to be true if you examine a repair that Balfour Beatty did, some time back that is opposite and on the other side of the road to the Westmorland Gazette Office. This was done well because they were being inspected - by me! I was in touch with their boss at Penrith who I have got to know through a previous campaign to get contractors to do quality work.
On the other hand if a hole needs to be dug in an asphalted street the problem is more difficult because of the need to seal the new asphalt with the old - something that is neglected in filling most of the potholes that occur.
Nearly all the problems we have with the cobbles in town is because the local Highways office in the past, was administered by Nick Raymond who didn't require Capita to inspect work do on the street.
This is true because United Utilities had received no complaints from anyone when I contacted them with the help of one of their employees. The result from this contact was for them to apologise for the poor workmanship done by their contractor Balfour Beatty and even though it was over two years after they had done the work ( when they can be legally requested to return), to come back and repair the damage except in the area between New Market Street and Brogden Street where the Highways department undertook to do the work - one can assume with payment to CCC for this by United Utilities.
So we end up with a series of problems in a lot of places down Market street which have arisen because of the negligence of our Highways Department.
If they had done their work of supervision properly then there would be no need for them to now repair the cobbles at a cost to us of £100,000 at a time when money is scarce.
In my next instalment I point out that they are going to rip up ALL the cobbles between and including the junctions of New Market Street and Brogden Dt with Market St where we have the best stretch of cobbles in place in the whole street. Furthermore they don't plan to even tackle some of the worse areas in the whole street that are below Brogden Street ie at the junction of Union Street and Market Street.
So we get all the disruption of closing off the street, spend £100,000 doing work that some of it doesn't need doing and leave behind a half finished job requiring more cash, more waits and a similar amount of disruption all over again with the accompanying loss of revenue to our shops and businesses.
If you wish to see my evidence then watch the video I have placed on Youtube, featured on a previous posting.
If I write a headline like this then this will make me find time to explain.
The first, at a time when cash is scarce, is regarding the wasteful spending of £100,000 by the Highways on something that had they been doing their job properlywould not need repairing - it was someone else's job. James Airey hasn't succeeded to talk sense into the Highways department.
The second is a dramatic example of an Ulverston man being kept against his will "in care"whilst they raided his house using his keys without his permission to fetch clothes amongst other things. Fortunately he is capable enough to have 'escaped' back home with some help from Cllr Norman Bishop-Rowe - one of the few councillors that get off their backsides and try to help individuals when they are haveing trouble with officialdom.
Will any of you complain?
If you value the money in your pocket and your personal freedom when you are either old or ill you will be hopping mad, causing you to: write emails, make phone calls, ring the doorbell of your councillor and go thumping on official's people's desk.
It's been announced that work will begin on repairing the cobbles in Market Street this next Monday in what is called a £100,000 revamp.
But will we be happy with the result?
I doubt it - rather it will be regarded as an opportunity missed as large sections of the street will be left untouched and only part of the problem dealt with.
Furthermore we will be apprehensive about the quality of the work done and the materials used.
I went out this morning and made this video to give past information on this topic.
Last year I briefed County Cllr James Airey on my views of what should be done.
The information I gave was based on the numerous communications I've had with United Utilities, the Highways Department of CCC and information shared by the engineers at Preston as to how they repair and install cobbles (or Setts) in their city. Both United Utilities and the People at Preston have been most helpful.
I'm having a meeting with James Airey this next Tuesday as previous attempts to get together have failed.
I hope to be able to report back on what and how the work is to be carried out. I shall be watching with great interest!
Here is the helpful information I was sent from Preston in 2008 (which was passed on the James Airey).
Preston clearly take great care in supervising the work done by contractors.
Will CCC show the same degree of dilegence?
Their supervision of the work done by contractors in the past has been appalling. With a change at the top of the local department of highways and close monitoring from our new councillors - will we achieve quality work and value for money? . . . .
I hope that CCC will enforce high standards and be using Ultracrete Flowpoint to seal between the cobbles as recommended below:
Reinstatement of setts. Dear Mr. Dellow, Your e-mail was finally sent to me as I deal with all the utility reinstatements in the Preston area. Appearances in Preston may be deceptive, because it is a constant battle with the utilities to achieve a satisfactory standard to sett reinstatements after excavations. It is obvious that the utilities do not have street masons trained to a sufficient degree to reinstate setts correctly. It is therefore a matter of constant supervision of the method used by the reinstators to ensure: a) that they are aware of the correct method of reconstruction b) that they follow the existing bonding / pattern as required c) that they use the correct type of sett (size, colour, material ) d) that they follow the correct method of pointing the setts with the correct colour of ultracrete flowpoint.
In many cases, if we have not been present to ensure the required standard is adhered to, the setts have to be broken out and relaid in the correct manner. This is repeated until the setts are satisfactory. Very rarely are they satisfactory in the first instance.
The most recent setts reinstatement that I have dealt with was a utility trench 60m. long x 1.5m. wide. Despite my efforts to explain how to relay this trench I had to insist on it being re-laid four times until it was satisfactory.This was over a period of 6 months but the end result was worth the perseverance. Eventually the sub – contractor employed two operatives who were experienced in laying setts and with supervision and explanation they were able to finally achieve a satisfactory result. They were also given the time to do the work correctly; being paid on ‘day rate’ rather than on a price per m2. ( As were the the previous operatives ). Laying setts is a time consuming operation which cannot be rushed if a good result is required. Too often the reinstator / sub-contractor allows unqualified and inexperienced operatives to try to relay the setts hoping that their work will be satisfactory enough for them to “ get away with it “.
Technically we use the LCC Standard Details for Highway Works for the laying of setts. This involves using 100 – 150mm of lean mix concrete then a 25mm. layer of sand/cement mortar. One innovation that has been introduced is that we require the joints to be filled for at least a 50mm. depth, from the top of the sett, with a product called Ultracrete Flowpoint. This is a pre-mixed dry grout that only requires the addition of water on site.. This can then be poured neatly into the joints. It is a rapid setting grout that allows for early trafficking of the road, has exceptional bond strength and has built-in shrinkage compensation. It also dispenses with the need of using a bitumen sealant to the surface of the joints. We now specify the use of Flowpoint on all sett paving in Preston .
I hope this information is of use to you and if I can be of any further help or if you have any further queries please contact me by e-mail.
It set Stan off on his humourous life - even though he only got a few sips in the eight weeks he was here.(I'm wrong - he was drinking it by the gallon until he was six I understand)
Incredible though it may seem:
The workmen repairing the setts in The Gill, Ulverston, were told last Friday to 'rip there own work up' (to use Evening Mail headline speak) and do it again.
Not that they have done poor work - it was excellent - but because the County Council have now decided to do the whole lot and not just do patches.
This was something that definitely needed doing and my statement, that I would be repairing future damage straight away - and not waiting a whole year as I did this last time, may have influenced them (? - Highly unlikely but you never know).
So this morning when I talked to the workers they were fed up at the thought of digging their work up in order to achieve a uniform and attractive result.
They are starting at one end and working all the way along to reset all the setts.
The Council must be congratulated for making this brave decision.
On prime time BBC coverage at 07:45 am Radio Cumbria tomorrow when I'm being interviewed about taking action illegally to repair our highway - the setts - in The Gill.
No doubt thousands of you will be tuned in specially
Even more serious, because of their location, are the setts or cobbles on Market Street just below the Cross at the junction with New Market Street.
Having roads so obviously in need of repair reflects badly on the town as a Tourist destination.
As is obvious , the holes are massive and completely beyond the limits the Highways department set themselves for immediate overnight repair. Yet they remain for months at a time so that a frustrated public just cope.
No that's not true some people with disabilities have stopped coping - they stay away from the town centre for fear of being injured.
One can sympathise and feel that if we care the only solution is to repair these setts ourselves.
Something I'm on the verge of tackling myself - and I don't think it would be too difficult to do a reasonable job in four hours to do the whole of the Market Square and make it safe and acceptable.
"The setts on the Gill were looked at by Highways on Wednesday after I chased them again, a works order has been placed and the work will be done within 6 weeks. Hopefully as soon as possible but no longer than 6 weeks."
