Highways Issues Information

Information added 29 November 2016

Dog Fouling

As a result of complaints made by residents to the Association which were passed onto our Borough Councillors, Councillor Jarvis reported the following at the recent Annual General Meeting of the Association:

He had spoken to the Colchester Council Zone Manager and was informed about a change in the regulations from 31 October 2016. Until that date only Enforcement Officers could enforce dog fouling fines. Now additional officers of the Council will be empowered to issue fines. Residents should record the time, date and place of any instances they see for the area to be targeted by such officers. Brian said he was happy to receive reports with these details for passing on. The Zone Manager felt there were insufficient penalty warning signs and Brian has asked him to arrange for more to be displayed.

Subsequent to the meeting Brian Jarvis notified the Association that along with the other changes the fine for dog fouling had been increased from £50 to £75.

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Information added 29 November 2016

Road safety news

ECC Councillor Anne Turrell has provided the Association with the following information:

She has confirmed that the proposed Fernlea 20 mph scheme is still on the Local Highways Panel (LHP) list to start design in next financial year.

In connection with excess speed in Braiswick from Westwood Hill to Bakers Lane, Anne has obtained technical agreement to the following proposals which will still however require funding approval from the LHP:

i. The existing 30 mph sign to be moved closer to the road and vegetation cut back.

ii. 30 mph to be painted on the road between Bakers Lane and Westwood Hill. Other painted road warnings provided towards Colchester.

Apparently checks on this section of road indicated average speeds were almost 40 mph in both directions.

Separately Essex Highways will look at installing a Vehicle Activated Road Sign (VAS) but as the County Council does not own any land along the road there needs to be further investigations. Anne is keeping this separate from the other measures as she does not wish to cause delay to them.

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Information added 16 September 2016

A12 noise

Following complaints from Braiswick residents, Councillor Anne Turrell has been in communication with Highways England who are responsible for the A12. The latest correspondence she has received on the subject from Highways England is attached below:

"Dear Cllr Turrell

Thank you for your email of 5 September to Andy Jobling, concerning noise from the A12 at Braiswick. Andy is on leave this week and has asked me to reply on his behalf.

I am sorry to learn that residents close to the A12 in Braiswick are concerned about noise levels. As you will know from our letter to Will Quince MP, the way in which we manage traffic noise issues on the strategic road network is driven by the requirements of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, via the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). These regulations require strategic noise maps and action plans to be undertaken on a five year cycle, with the next review due in 2017.
The areas circled in red on the map we previously provided (attached for your convenience) are the ‘Important Areas’ identified by Defra in the previous review. These ‘Important Areas’ are sometimes referred to as noise ‘hotspots’. Properties close to the A12 in the area of Braiswick have not been identified as ‘Important Areas’ by Defra, which mean that they are not being exposed to the highest noise levels generated by the strategic road network.

We acknowledge that noise from our strategic road network can still affect the quality of life for those living nearby, yet be outside of an ‘Important Area’. Whilst we are unlikely to provide specific noise mitigation measures, such as noise barriers, at these locations in the near future, we are working to minimise noise emissions from the strategic road network as a whole, through the use of low noise surfacing as our standard surface, which will gradually replace older, noisier surfaces, and looking at other ways that noise emanating from our network can be reduced, such as working with vehicle manufacturers to produce quieter engines and encouraging road users to fit quieter tyres to their vehicles.

I hope you find this information helpful. Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact Andy or me.

Kind regards
Dawn

Dawn Gray
Highways England | Woodlands | Manton Lane | Bedford | MK41 7LW
Tel: +44 (0) 300 4705084
Web: http://www.highways.gov.uk"

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Information added 26 August 2016

20 mph scheme for Fernlea/ Stonecrop

Following an application made to the Local Highways Panel(LHP), a speed survey and resident survey, information has been received from Councillor Anne Turrell that the request has been validated and will be going to the March 2017 meeting of the LHP to seek funding in the 2017/ 18 financial year.

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Information added 16 August 2016

Excessive speed - Westwood Hill

In response to an enquiry made by Councillor Anne Turrell, she received the following reply from Essex County Council:

"From: Member Enquiries <ku.vog.xesse|seiriuqne.rebmem#ku.vog.xesse|seiriuqne.rebmem>
Date: 11 August 2016 at 11:06:47 BST
To: Anne Turrell
Subject: RE: Speed Mile End Colchester Ecc0715301 08 16
Dear Cllr Turrell

Thank you for enquiry concerning vehicles driving at excessive speed along Bures Road, from the Westwood Hill junction towards West Bergholt.

The Colchester Local Highways Panel (LHP) are currently looking into a scheme at potentially reducing the speed limit. Once a decision has been made, Joe Hazelton, Highways Liaison Officer for the Panel, will provide you with the outcome directly.

Speeding vehicles is an issue that can only be enforced by Essex Police and occurrences of this should be reported directly to them via their non-emergency telephone number 101.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Regards

Richard Buttress
Senior Customer Services Officer
Customer Services

Essex County Council | Telephone: 0345 703 0430"

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Information added 13 June 2016

20 mph scheme for Fernlea/ Stonecrop?

Following a recent speed survey, it has been confirmed that a 20 mph speed limit can be considered for Fernlea and Stonecrop. To enable this to be taken further by the Local Highways Panel, it is necessary for the support of the residents to be confirmed. Accordingly a form has been circulated, to the relevant properties, as a joint exercise by the Residents' Association and the ECC Ward Councillor, Anne Turrell. Assuming that confirmation of the relevant level of resident support is obtained it will be submitted to the Panel in support of the application.

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Information added 25 April 2016

Condition of Baker's Lane

The following correspondence has been received from Cllr Anne Turrell (ECC Member for Mile End) re the above:

"From: Member Enquiries
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2016 5:18 PM
To: Cllr Anne Turrell, Member CC
Subject: Bakers Lane, Colchester - ECC0062119 04 16

Dear Cllr Turrell,

Thank you for your email, dated 15 April 2016, regarding the condition of the road surface in Bakers Lane.

Bakers Lane is currently being considered for inclusion into the 2016-17 (financial year) Surface Dressing Programme although presently there are no live jobs planned for works at this site. I can only reiterate the information issued by Richard Buttress in his email of 15 April 2016, the next scheduled safety inspection of Bakers Lane is due in July 2016.

The purpose of this inspection is to assess, and where necessary, record all defects according to severity and risk, allowing for work schemes to be planned with the most urgent being put forward for immediate works.

I understand that this may not be Cllr Goss’ desired outcome however, please note that there are approximately 5,000 miles of roads in Essex which we have to consider repairs for with limited funding. Defects which are identified through our regular routine safety inspection programme are assessed and prioritised according to the level of severity and the risk to public safety. This consistent County-wide approach ensures the management of defects is reliable and fair across our large highway network.

Thank you for contacting us and I trust this information explains ECC’s current position in respect of this matter.

Kind regards

Claire

Claire Callaghan
Customer Services Advisor
Member Enquiries Team
Corporate and Customer Services

Essex County Council | www.essex.gov.uk<http://www.essex.gov.uk/>"

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Traffic Refuge at Tufnell Way junction

Information added 29 December 2015

Many residents will be aware that, dating from the planning approval and development of the New Braiswick Park estate, there is an outstanding undertaking to provide a pedestrian island or traffic refuge in Tufnell Way at its junction with the main Bergholt Road. This followed concerns raised by residents and councillors that due to the widening of Tufnell Way at the junction and the greatly increased traffic resulting from the new development, there would be road safety issues particularly in respect of elderly pedestrians and children wishing to cross at the junction.

In view of these concerns it was agreed that a traffic refuge would be provided and monies under Section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 obtained from the developer. The monies allocated were to provide both the traffic refuge and provide three bus shelters on the new housing development. This obligation to provide the funds constituted a planning obligation on the developer and the deed to that effect was signed on behalf of the developer and both Colchester Borough and Essex County Councils.

It was stated by the developer of New Braiswick Park that the refuge could not be provided straight away due to the possibility that it could impede the passage of large construction traffic using the junction whilst the housing was being built. Although this seemed a little strange as the un-widened junction had been negotiated successfully for many years by large articulated vehicles serving the former Woods factory, residents were by and large content to wait.

The prospect of a new school being constructed was not known about at that time and the subsequent 'surprise' of E.C.C's plans in this respect further delayed the prospect of the traffic island being provided.

Needless to say with the completion of works to both the housing and the school, residents are now expecting the fulfilment of previous council undertakings to provide the traffic refuge. This, as originally, is also being pursued by our local elected councillors. Residents can imagine the surprise if not incredulity to be told that E.C.C. cannot provide the refuge as it would prevent buses from safely negotiating the junction!!

It will be recalled from the above that money was obtained by the councils to fund the traffic refuge and to provide facilities for buses serving the housing development. Thus both authorities were clearly aware of the requirement to ensure that the work to alter the junction for the new housing development was adequate for the needs of buses once the agreed traffic refuge was constructed.

It would appear that there has been a failure of planning, co-ordination and communication within (particularly) E.C.C as Highways Authority. The shortcomings of that authority should not be allowed to prejudice pedestrian safety and accordingly the Braiswick Residents' Association will be making an official complaint through the proper channels assisted by our county councillor, Anne Turrell. Residents make also wish to make their own representations to E.C.C.

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