Will and David on Moorland Road

Will and David are really pleased to announce that the pavements on Moorland Road are due to be resurfaced over the next few months.

Sorting out the pavements were one of our key manifesto pledges to you so we are delighted that this is being done so quickly.

We know that a lot of people (mainly the elderly and those with mobility issues) fall on the uneven paving slabs or on the double kerb along the south side of the road.

The paving slabs are due to be replaced with tarmac; and even though the double kerbs will remain, Will has worked with the Council’s highways engineers to ensure the second kerb is set back. This will create a wider step to make it easier for the people with poor eyesight or mobility problems to use.

Will said: ” I’ve seen many people fall on the Moorland Road pavements; it’s horrible to see, and even more horrible for the person who has fallen. One lady had to wait over 30 minutes for and ambulance, so anything we can do to reduce the likelihood of a fall is a great improvement.

The pavement will be resurfaced along both sides of Moorland Road between Shaftesbury Road and the Library. Click here for a PDF of the planned works: Moorland Road Pavement Plan

It is anticipated that the works will commence on Monday 24th October 2011 and continue for up to 6 weeks.

The day-time working hours are between 0700 and 1900 on weekdays. However in order to minimise disruption to businesses, residents and shoppers the contractors intend working in isolated areas replacing damaged kerbs, raising utilities / drainage covers and replacing footpath cross drains, whilst maintaining access at all times.

http://oldfield.mycouncillor.org.uk/files/2011/10/Moorland-Road-Pavement-Plan1.pdf

The potentially more disruptive works – excavation of the existing pavement and replacement with tarmac surfacing, will take place in the evenings between 1900 and 2330 weekdays.

There is flexibility in these arrangements and our Highways engineers will be happy to discuss residents and businesses  particular needs to help with access.

Both vehicular and pedestrian access will be available at all times along Moorland Road. However it will be necessary to restrict parking adjacent to each work area using traffic cones and pedestrian barriers, allowing for a pedestrian route to be created in the carriageway.

Pipe ready for insertion on 28/09/11

Tonight will see the insertion of the final section of pipe into the section of Moorland Road between Shaftesbury Road and the Library.

This should mean that the Sainsbury’s section of Moorland Road will be fully open by the end of this week and the Velo Lounge section very soon after. This will be a great relief to the traders and the community.

Next steps for your local Councillors are to try and sort out the uneven paving on the pavements!

www.thisisbath.co.uk

Reporters from the Bath Chronicle are on Moorland Road, tomorrow, 22nd September 2011 as part of the Chronicle Meet-the-people sessions. Paul Wiltshire, the Deputy editor and our local area reporter Felicity Crump will in the Busy Bee Cafe from 11am-noon. Why not pop a long an let them know if you’ve got a local story for them?

Wales and West will be closing the Moorland Road / Livingstone Road / Herbert Road junction to all traffic at 7pm on Tuesday 20th September. The closure will last about an hour and is to enable them to insert their new gas main.

The time has been selected to have the least possible impact on the Moorland Road businesses.

Gas Works Continue

Wales and West have advised us that the works are progressing well in Moorland Road – they have successfully inserted the new main on the right hand side of the road as it went the full length required i.e to Triangle North. The left hand side did not go as far and stopped on a blockage just past the junction with Herbert Road.

They are currently commissioning the main on the Francis DIY side of the road and are aiming to have this completed, together with all works on the right hand side in the first section of Moorland Road (i.e. between Shaftesbury Road and Livingstone Road) by the end of next week, with the left hand side in this section completed and cleared by the end of the following week.

Next week they will be completing connections on the junctions with Herbert Road and Livingstone Road, and this will involve open cutting new links around the junctions to minimise any impact on traffic flows. They will then continue with the insertion of the main on the left hand side from a point just past the Herbert Road junction and will have to see how far it goes from there.

Road closures have been kept to an absolute minimum and the success of this next insertion will dictate whether the next closure (due on 03/10 on the section adjacent to the Library) will be required or not.

WWU now have more information concerning the mains locations for the final connections works adjacent to the Brook Road bridge it is now apparent that these works cannot be completed without a closure on the West Avenue/Triangle North junction due to the size/location of the required excavations here.

A new closure request has been submitted to B&NES to close this location from 12/10/11 – 18/11/11, although WWU have committed to only enforce the closure when absolutely necessary, however with the extent of the connections works required a closure will be unavoidable.

The map shows the closure area. For a larger image, click on the map.

Wales and West have an unexpected technical problem with their works. The original Victorian cast iron gas pipes have bends which would make it difficult for them to complete their works without a total closure of Shaftesbury Road.

A compromise solution has been found which will mean that they will dig an extra 10 metres along one side of Shaftesbury Road as far as Third Avenue. This will enable access to be maintained to Moorland Road for deliveries and disabled drivers.

Will and David support this solution and have asked that Wales and West communicate with those homes and businesses effected by the change.

Photograph of Victoria Bridge by Phillip Halling http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/546748

Will  has received an update from Cllr Roger Symonds (B&NES Cabinet member for Transport) about Victoria Bridge.

As most resdients will know the Bridge has been found to be structurally unsound and needs repair work.

The latest moves to stabilise the bridge have included a new structural engineer who specialises in suspension bridges being brought in to review the work done so far. Unfortunately this review will take a couple of months, during which time no further action will be taken with the bridge. Any future works recommended will need the agreement of English Heritage.

Roger’s preference is still to have a Bailey Bridge pedestrian/cycle way as a temporary measure, but a decision will not be made until the bridge expert reports back, and would probably involve land not currently in the Council’s ownership.

For cyclists, there is hoped to be a diversion in place from October which will run from Sainsbury’s, over the reopended Victoria Bridge Road, and then over the Western Riverside to Midland Road. If a cycle contraflow can be put in place, this would allow a North / South cycle link over the Destructor Bridge. Unfortunately, this is not as helpful for pedestrians.

Your local Councillors understand the importance of Victoria Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists from both sides of the City and we continue to press for the bridge, or a short alternative route to be provided as soon as possible. Unfortunately at the moment, it looks like progress will be slow.

The gas works started today. All the shops are open for business as usual. Wales and West have agreed to allow access to Moorland Road for deliveries and blue badge holders, but only when it is safe to do so.

Will and David urge everyone in our community to continue supporting the Traders in Moorland Road over the next few weeks.

If you need to collect any bulky items from the shops, special arrangements will be made by the traders.

You’re driving, you see blue lights behind you, what do you do?

Well, as long as you’re not just about to be caught speeding, you will want to get out of the emergency services way as soon as possible. Has anyone ever told you exactly what you should do?

It’s not in the highway code or part of the driving test.

Will is one of the Council’s representatives on Avon Fire and Rescue Service who have set up a new help us get there website to give advice to drivers about how they should react when they are under the sudden pressure of the emergency services trying to get past them on our roads.

There are YouTube clips for learner drivers, new drivers and experienced drivers.

Will said: “No-body’s every told me how I should react to the blue lights of the emergency services when I’m driving – until now.

This is a great initiative from Avon Fire and Rescue and I hope that the information will enable me and other drivers react safely when the emergency services are on call.

Anything we can do to help the emergency services to get safely and swiftly to where they need to be is of benefit to us all.”

The works have been postponed

The Gas Works have been postponed for a week to allow for better information to be provided to the community and more robust consultation with Traders about deliveries.

Last Friday Cllr Will Sandry met senior managers from Wales and West Utilities in Bristol to discuss the poor communication which had beset this project.

Specifically Will asked why only people with a gas supply had been consulted instead of all the traders and local residents, and sought reassurance that deliveries to and from the shops would be accommodated. He also addressed the issue of the poor communication of parking suspensions with residents in the surrounding streets.

Will said: “I’m pleased that Wales and West have agreed to take time out to consider what they could do better and improve their communication. Moorland Road has many  independent businesses, and lots of residents in the surrounding streets. It’s really important that their needs are catered for during these works.

Now I’ve met with Wales and West I understand the complex job that they are doing on Moorland Road. It’s not just one gas main they are replacing but two large ones on each side of the street. They have to dig some very large holes to push new pipes through the existing ones.

Everyone I’ve spoken with understands that Wales and West need to do the work, but equally everyone says that Wales and West should have communicated better.”

Will also found out other information about the works have have not been communicated to the residents and traders as yet:

• Working hours will be 12 hours per day, six days a week starting at 07:30 / 08:00. In the event that a day’s work has got to a critical point, the contractor may work on for another few hours beyond 8pm.
• The planned rest day is Sunday, but that may be swapped with Saturday for operational reasons during the works.
• Access to the shops for shoppers will be maintained at all times during opening hours and arrangements will be made for those with wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters.
• Further gas main replacement will be required on Third Avenue, Shaftesbury Road, Beckhampton Road, and the Lower Bristol Road within the next two years.