Holding developers to account

Barbara Carpenter and Len Gates have contacted Test Valley Borough Council to ask for action to deal with substandard works carried out in Tiberius Road.

The attached pictures show works carried out by contractors working for the developers at the old Shepherd Spring School site. Footpaths grass verges and gardens have been dug up and badly relayed. Local residents are naturally appalled at the standard of the work and contacted Len and Barbara asking for action. Check this website for news on the response form TVBC and the contractors.

Tiberius Road ATiberius Road DTiberius Road B

 

Highways improvements in Roman Way

Town councillor Barbara Carpenter is pleased to report that work has started on resurfacing the uneven parts of the footpath alongside the old Shepherd Spring School from Smannnell Road to Augustus Walk.

Footpath repairs

Barbara said “this path has been neglected and in need of repair for many years. Many local residents have contacted me about the county council’s failure to maintain the path. I am pleased to see that it is finally being repaired.”

In the same area Barbara has arranged with Aster/Synergy for work to be carried out to clear drains in Caesar Close to prevent flooding in the road.

Flooding in Caesar Close

Roman Way Focus November 2014

The latest Alamein Focus newsletter is currently being delivered in Roman Way. Further Focuses will be delivered across Alamein ward over the next month To read the Roman Way Focus now click here Roman Way Focus November 2014

Focus is produced and delivered across Alamein ward by local volunteers. If you would like to help in delivery or you have any stories for us to include please contact us at [email protected]

Roman Way School update #1

On 29th October I sent the letter below to the Economy, Transport and Environment department at Hampshire County Council. I will  be raising the matter with various councillors over the next few days.

I am writing on behalf of governors and parents of Roman Way School in Andover and other local residents. I have been given your name as the contact at HCC to speak to regarding a new pedestrian crossing outside the school. 

The school, previously on a quiet residential road (Viking Way/Roman Way), is now on one of the main access roads to the new MDA at Augusta Park. As part of section 106 agreements we were promised traffic calming and a pedestrian controlled crossing outside the school. To date this has not happened although there is an ineffectual mini-roundabout and an unused crossing in the wrong place some distance from the school entrance. 

Since work on the northern section of Augusta Park has started and approximately 100 houses in this area have been occupied traffic past the school, both residential and contractors, has increased considerably. The majority of pupils at the school cross Viking Way from the south to get to the school. There is no lollypop man and limited signage indicating the school entrance. The approaches to the school and provision of safe crossing are poor compared to the nearby Knights Enham School on King Arthurs Way. 

We have spoken to officers at Test Valley Borough Council who have agreed to look at improved signage in the area. They have also advised us that the proposed crossing is the responsibility of Hampshire County Council and will not be installed until funds are received from the developers when the target number of houses has been occupied. This they expect to be sometime in the summer next year. I understand that other traffic calming was planned for this stretch of road but is now in doubt. 

We are obviously disappointed with this response from TVBC. The timescale means the school may have to operate for a further year before any work is undertaken to install this much needed crossing. It also means local children will continue to be in danger from ever increasing traffic flows accessing Augusta Park. Residents would like to see positive action as soon as possible and have organised a petition in support of this. We would now like to present this petition to HCC and state our case for action. 

Would you or someone in your department be prepared to meet us please to receive the petition and listen to our case for bringing forward the installation of the crossing?

 Yours sincerely 

Len Gates

Approach from east

School approach from east

School approach from west

School approach from west

Approach to Knights Enham School

Approach to Knights Enham School

 

UPDATE

Attached here Letter from HCC is the reply I received from Hampshire County Council

 

 

Alamein residents’ meeting

Local residents filled the Gabriel Room at St Pauls Church for the latest residents’ forum. The meeting, organised by Alamein Community Association, allows local people to meet and quiz police, councillors and council officers on local issues.

The meeting opened with a presentation from PCSOs Peter Jones and Elly Hughes on policing issues followed by questions from the public. Gemma Sacree of Test Valley’s Community Safety team was also on hand to answer questions. A particular concern was youth nuisance in and around Smannell Road open space and the new skate park. Cllr Barbara Carpenter called for increased policing in the area and the removal of the shelter on the open space as it is a centre for trouble.

Len and Barbara discuss traffic with local resident

Len and Barbara discuss traffic with local resident

Steve Raw of Test Valley’s Planning and Transport department gave an update on traffic calming and parking controls. Barbara Carpenter, Len Gates and Cllr Phil North have a further meeting with Highways officers next month to discuss traffic calming on Smannell Road. Residents criticised the diversion of Smannell Road through Augusta Park. Len Gates explained the decision was made by borough councillors despite strong objections from councillors for the area. Local councillors also proposed an additional access road to Augusta Park but this was rejected. The plans were later ratified by a public enquiry despite further objections.

Marion Orwin raised concerns about traffic past Roman Way School and the lack of a proper crossing there.  Several other speakers also called action. Phil North explained a crossing is planned but will not be built until next year. Len Gates asked for improved signage and flashing lights like those outside Knights Enham School to be installed. Steve Raw agreed to investigate this.

Councillors Barbara Long and Steven Hardstaff gave a presentation on the Andover Town Council’s neighbourhood plan which will give local people more say in future development in the town. Local volunteers are needed to help draw up the plan.

Len Gates closed the meeting with a run down of events organised by Alamein Community Association and inviting everyone to the Association’s AGM in King Arthurs Hall at 7:30pm on 11th November. The next resident’s forum is planned for January.

 

 

Campaign for safer crossing outside school

Marion and Barbara outside the school

Residents of Roman Way are calling for action to improve road safety outside their primary school. Since new housing on the northern side of Augusta Park has been built the level of traffic passing the school has increased dramatically. As most pupils cross this traffic flow along Viking Way and Roman Way a safe crossing is urgently needed.

Last week  campaigners launched a petition for a controlled crossing outside the school. Parents were overwhelmingly in favour of action and queued to sign the petition. Town councillor Barbara Carpenter said “Children are in danger. A safe crossing is urgently needed before someone is injured or killed.”

School governor Marion Orwin added “road signs in the area are not good enough and traffic drives too fast past the school entrance.”

Fellow campaigner Len Gates said “we were promised road safety measures to deal with the increased traffic from Augusta Park. It’s now time for the developers and council to honour these promises.”

The team will be collecting signatures across Roman Way over the next two weeks. Campaigners will be discussing road safety and traffic calming across the area at a residents meeting in St Pauls church centre on October 17th.

Picture shows Marion Orwin and Barbara Carpenter outside the school with their petition

Meeting Roman Way residents

Yesterday I and my campaign team spent the afternoon talking to residents in Roman Way, Caesar Close, Tiberius Road, Agricola Walk and Augustus Walk. I hope to call on other parts of Roman Way over the coming week.

Thank you to everyone for the warm and supportive response we received. I was particularly pleased to see how well town councillor Barbara Carpenter is regarded. She is a great example of how local councillors can and should represent their communities.

One issue which came up time and again was the high handed attitude of Synergy Housing towards those residents who now own their homes in the area. Synergy are doing an excellent job repairing and upgrading footpaths and car parking in and around Caesar Close. But their demands that home owners pay up without question what appears to be arbitrary amounts towards the cost are unacceptable. Synergy has a serious customer service issue here which they are reluctant to admit.

Many residents have asked me and Barbara to intervene on their behalf and we are trying to organise a meeting between Synergy and residents to air their views. To date Synergy has been reluctant to meet us. We will keep trying.

Cricketers Way lorries

Further to my previous posts about lorries reversing into Cricketers Way (see post here) I can report further action had been taken by environmental health officers.

I and other concerned residents have contacted Test Valley Borough Council detailing the persistent failure to observe the agreed safety procedures. Moat recently I contacted the chief executive of TVBC as follows –

“This has been an ongoing problem for some two to three years. Despite the best efforts of TVBC’s Environmental health department lorry drivers are regularly and with impunity disregarding the agreed safety procedures. I have spent a great deal of time recently working with the HSE on safe manoeuvring of lorries on an agricultural/industrial site. The practices residents are reporting taking place outside this Tesco store would never be allowed on my site. This problem really does need urgent attention.”

I am pleased to report that Test Valley officers have had another meeting with Tesco to tighten controls on their own (Tesco) lorries visiting the store to prevent their drivers manoeuvring unsupervised. They will also be monitoring third party drivers delivering to the store.

If you see further breaches of safety procedures or drivers reversing unsupervised let me or the council know immediately.

Road safety at Knights Enham school

Photo 5 Knights Enham School

Residents in Tintagel Close have contacted me about the crossing on KIng Arthur’s Way from Tintagel Close to the local school (picture above).

Although there is traffic calming (single lane traffic, and 20mph limit sign along the road) this crossing is not as safe as it could be. I agree and so do the local police and school staff. I have contacted Hampshire Highways asking for improvements here in particular can they install -safety barriers along the pavements as they have further along, barriers to prevent children running or cycling straight out from the footpath into traffic and better slow down and speed restriction signs.

As usual I have yet to receive a response but will keep chasing them until I get an answer on this problem.

Thank you Viking Way

Out and about again this week speaking to residents in Viking Way. Thank you for your positive response and my apologies to anyone I missed. I’ll try and call back later but if you need to speak to me in the meantime please phone or email.

As in other areas residents are disgusted with the condition of  local roads and speeding traffic in the area. The state of Viking Way is appalling and untouched despite several people reporting it. The potholes are dangerous and should be filled immediately. No doubt the county council are waitiing in the hope that the developers at Augusta Park will do the job for them!!

Residents also expressed concerns about the increase, and speed of traffic, in the area, especially outside the school entrance. I have raised this before with Hampshire Highways and will continue to push for proper crossings both on Viking Way and on Roman Way. Local residents and their children deserve decent roads and safe crossings especially on roads destined to be some of the main access routes to the new housing at Augusta Park. This is the least the council and the developers can do for all those already inconvenienced  by the new housing developements in the area.