Tuesday, October 17, 2006
October 2006
Substantial cuts to road gritting programme will affect our villages
On October 12th the gritting routes for winter were published. Substantial cuts have been made from gritting 47% of the county roads down to 34% to achieve a £200,000 budget reduction. In a letter to me Jim Stevens, Infrastructure Manager, says that Hampshire only salts 26%, Kent 28%, Wiltshire 25% and Dorset 29%, but when asked at the Local Committee what percent of the roads in Beds,Herts and Oxon are salted, which have population densities and road networks much more like Bucks, he was unable to say!
Jim Stevens says that roads no longer on the "priority salting network" will now only be "salted on a secondary basis if cold conditions persist for a period of time".
I am told that roads no longer gritted have been identified by a matrix of factors, including traffic, gradient, bends and school bus routes. Unfortunately these factors seem to have been applied perversely in our case, as Ivinghoe Aston Hill, the Slapton bends and Long Marston Road, Cheddington, are all on school bus routes, but are no longer on the "priority salting network".
In addition in Pitstone, Vicarage Road and possibly Cheddington Road will not be gritted; the whole of Edlesborough village off the main road, and Wingrave to Leighton Buzzard. Mentmore has never been gritted.
I have written to protest to Jim Stevens, copying in the council leaders, asking for the statistics informing the decision, and am finding out from other sources what happens in Herts.
Ivinghoe Youth Hostel
Following a meeting in July with the Chief Executive of the YHA Roger Clarke, where he agreed to consider a proposal for the future of the hostel a small group has got together to write and submit one before the end of the year . The initial proposal will be broad brush, outlining possible options. If the YHA like to direction, the proposal can be worked on further and possibly funding could be found for a project manager to carry it forward.
In brief, the idea is to turn the hostel in to a high quality, nationally recognised, integrated centre for education and leisure in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offering overnight accommodation, tailor-made activity programmes and ‘signposting’ services to visiting schools, organisations, families and individuals. It could be owned and run by a Trust which includes the YHA, and other partners from voluntary and statutory organisations.
Ivinghoe Aston Quarry
The quarry operators sought and gained permission to extend operations for twelve months to complete restoration according to plan. A recent site visit by the liaison committee didn’t think that the work was as far on as it should have been according to the timetable submitted with the application. Unfortunately the operator couldn’t attend the liaison committee meeting, so two more have been scheduled before the end of November so that our questions can be answered and the committee be kept completely up to date with progress. The committee has also asked the BCC monitoring officer to keep a close watch.
Planning Application Marsworth Airfield
A planning application submitted in May by Euro-Demolition (Acorn Waste Management) to double the number of lorries using the site from 12 per day to 24 was withdrawn, when on visiting the site BCC planning officers discovered that the conditions of the original planning application had not been implemented. I was told that officers were expecting a new application to be submitted to ‘regularise’ this!! Several months on, nothing has happened. I have been reliably informed that on certain days 100 vehicle movements to this operation can take place. I have contacted the planning office and insisted that action be taken. There are many businesses on the airfield already abiding by planning conditions.
Deer collisions update
Latest figures from Ashridge show deer collisions this year to be down by half on the previous year. This is an ‘unofficial’ estimate, and the pilot scheme to warn motorists and deer alike has still more time to run before being fully evaluated. In addition new speed limits on the Ashridge estate are about to be introduced by Herts County Council.
Intelligent Road Studs
This is the latest iniative from BCC to reduce electricity costs for street lighting, and cut down light pollution. Tests are being carried out on stretches of road in Bucks and elsewhere using these and it is hoped that as well as being used on new road schemes, existing lighting will be replaced in sensitive areas where it is safe to do so. I am asking that the roundabout at Northfield Road be considered a priority for this, in view of the widespread objection to the lighting being there in the first place.
Electricity bills – bad news and good.
The Bucks County Council’s electricity bill is up 50% on three years ago, although consumption has gone up only 13%. In answer to a written question I put to the Council in September I was told that street lighting energy contracts are on a fixed price basis from April 06. Other gas and electricity contracts have always been on a fixed tariff. As well as the County’s own premises, schools will be the hardest hit with price rises.
These contracts are negotiated on behalf of the County by LASER, the largest energy purchasing consortium in the country which includes about 10 other County Councils along with industry and universities. The good news is that BCC buy their electricity from Scottish Hydro ( all electricity bought from renewable sources saves generating it with coal).
The County |Council belongs to the Carbon Trust, and is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3.8% by 2008/9 and is already ahead of target.
BCC Call Centre.
The call centre for all BCC enquiries 01296 395000 handled 1500-1900 calls a day in it’s first six months of operation. It is now handling Highways On Call as well, with limited success. The good news is that Highways On Call is now subject to the same performance measurement as the call centre, with jobs allocated a number, and tracked for response and completion times.
Sixty percent of calls are answered within 45 seconds, except in September. In September the call centre received 3,000 calls a day. This surge was the result of the forms going out for transfer to secondary education, as many people were unable to complete the form with the guidance given. As a result the form will be redesigned for next year. In previous years queries have been handled directly by the service, or in libraries, and the number of callers, and the problem, has never been identified.
You can also email the call centre and should have your enquiry fully answered inside 5 days. www.buckscc.gov.uk
Avril Davies
On October 12th the gritting routes for winter were published. Substantial cuts have been made from gritting 47% of the county roads down to 34% to achieve a £200,000 budget reduction. In a letter to me Jim Stevens, Infrastructure Manager, says that Hampshire only salts 26%, Kent 28%, Wiltshire 25% and Dorset 29%, but when asked at the Local Committee what percent of the roads in Beds,Herts and Oxon are salted, which have population densities and road networks much more like Bucks, he was unable to say!
Jim Stevens says that roads no longer on the "priority salting network" will now only be "salted on a secondary basis if cold conditions persist for a period of time".
I am told that roads no longer gritted have been identified by a matrix of factors, including traffic, gradient, bends and school bus routes. Unfortunately these factors seem to have been applied perversely in our case, as Ivinghoe Aston Hill, the Slapton bends and Long Marston Road, Cheddington, are all on school bus routes, but are no longer on the "priority salting network".
In addition in Pitstone, Vicarage Road and possibly Cheddington Road will not be gritted; the whole of Edlesborough village off the main road, and Wingrave to Leighton Buzzard. Mentmore has never been gritted.
I have written to protest to Jim Stevens, copying in the council leaders, asking for the statistics informing the decision, and am finding out from other sources what happens in Herts.
Ivinghoe Youth Hostel
Following a meeting in July with the Chief Executive of the YHA Roger Clarke, where he agreed to consider a proposal for the future of the hostel a small group has got together to write and submit one before the end of the year . The initial proposal will be broad brush, outlining possible options. If the YHA like to direction, the proposal can be worked on further and possibly funding could be found for a project manager to carry it forward.
In brief, the idea is to turn the hostel in to a high quality, nationally recognised, integrated centre for education and leisure in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offering overnight accommodation, tailor-made activity programmes and ‘signposting’ services to visiting schools, organisations, families and individuals. It could be owned and run by a Trust which includes the YHA, and other partners from voluntary and statutory organisations.
Ivinghoe Aston Quarry
The quarry operators sought and gained permission to extend operations for twelve months to complete restoration according to plan. A recent site visit by the liaison committee didn’t think that the work was as far on as it should have been according to the timetable submitted with the application. Unfortunately the operator couldn’t attend the liaison committee meeting, so two more have been scheduled before the end of November so that our questions can be answered and the committee be kept completely up to date with progress. The committee has also asked the BCC monitoring officer to keep a close watch.
Planning Application Marsworth Airfield
A planning application submitted in May by Euro-Demolition (Acorn Waste Management) to double the number of lorries using the site from 12 per day to 24 was withdrawn, when on visiting the site BCC planning officers discovered that the conditions of the original planning application had not been implemented. I was told that officers were expecting a new application to be submitted to ‘regularise’ this!! Several months on, nothing has happened. I have been reliably informed that on certain days 100 vehicle movements to this operation can take place. I have contacted the planning office and insisted that action be taken. There are many businesses on the airfield already abiding by planning conditions.
Deer collisions update
Latest figures from Ashridge show deer collisions this year to be down by half on the previous year. This is an ‘unofficial’ estimate, and the pilot scheme to warn motorists and deer alike has still more time to run before being fully evaluated. In addition new speed limits on the Ashridge estate are about to be introduced by Herts County Council.
Intelligent Road Studs
This is the latest iniative from BCC to reduce electricity costs for street lighting, and cut down light pollution. Tests are being carried out on stretches of road in Bucks and elsewhere using these and it is hoped that as well as being used on new road schemes, existing lighting will be replaced in sensitive areas where it is safe to do so. I am asking that the roundabout at Northfield Road be considered a priority for this, in view of the widespread objection to the lighting being there in the first place.
Electricity bills – bad news and good.
The Bucks County Council’s electricity bill is up 50% on three years ago, although consumption has gone up only 13%. In answer to a written question I put to the Council in September I was told that street lighting energy contracts are on a fixed price basis from April 06. Other gas and electricity contracts have always been on a fixed tariff. As well as the County’s own premises, schools will be the hardest hit with price rises.
These contracts are negotiated on behalf of the County by LASER, the largest energy purchasing consortium in the country which includes about 10 other County Councils along with industry and universities. The good news is that BCC buy their electricity from Scottish Hydro ( all electricity bought from renewable sources saves generating it with coal).
The County |Council belongs to the Carbon Trust, and is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3.8% by 2008/9 and is already ahead of target.
BCC Call Centre.
The call centre for all BCC enquiries 01296 395000 handled 1500-1900 calls a day in it’s first six months of operation. It is now handling Highways On Call as well, with limited success. The good news is that Highways On Call is now subject to the same performance measurement as the call centre, with jobs allocated a number, and tracked for response and completion times.
Sixty percent of calls are answered within 45 seconds, except in September. In September the call centre received 3,000 calls a day. This surge was the result of the forms going out for transfer to secondary education, as many people were unable to complete the form with the guidance given. As a result the form will be redesigned for next year. In previous years queries have been handled directly by the service, or in libraries, and the number of callers, and the problem, has never been identified.
You can also email the call centre and should have your enquiry fully answered inside 5 days. www.buckscc.gov.uk
Avril Davies
# posted by Avril Davies @ 5:03 PM 
