County Council ‘Ignoring’ Poor State of Local Roads

Essex County Council is failing in its responsibility to keep local roads in a fit and safe condition, according to Parish Council Chairman John Glover.

Mr Glover accused the county council of ignoring potholes on the smaller roads for period of more than a year,despite them being marked at least twice for repair in 2011.

The criticism came as local survey figures revealed that only 15% of Epping Forest District Council residents were satisfied with the condition of the roads – the lowest in the entire county.

It is hoped the decision to appoint a new contractor, Ringway Jacobs, to repair the roads in the area will have a positive impact on the situation.

“Taking too long”

Mr Glover highlighted a large pothole in Toot Hill Road which has been causing particular problems for residents.

“Main roads are usually dealt with quite quickly, but smaller roads like Toot Hill Road can have potholes and not be looked at for a long time.

"I know people who have gone out with a bucket of concrete and tried to fill them in themselves because it was taking too long for Essex County Council to deal with.

"They left a cone on it to warn drivers, and when they took it away the bottom part stayed stuck in it, which is
how it is now."

Mr Glover said another issue affecting road safety locally was overgrown hedgerows He said: "There are places where hedgerows come out into the road. Places where cars should be able to pass are made too narrow. They also cover up signs and make it more dangerous for people walking in theroad.

“I have lived in Toot Hill for 29 years and when I first lived here the roadside shrubbery was cut back about twice per year, presumably by County. This service has completely stopped and in the last year part of Toot Hill Road was reduced to a single carriageway because of overgrowing bushes.

“We would like to bring pride to our roadsides and I am asking landowners to step up to the mark and get their hedges in neat order and ideally trimmed every winter,” he added.

Funding issues

Essex County Councillor Gerard McEwen, who represents the area, said it was important landowners took responsibility for their land.

"The Highways department don't cut hedges along rural lanes," Mr McEwen said. “It comes down to a matter of funds inthe end. Although it would be lovely if we could tackle every job, there isn't a bottomless pit of money and priorities have to be made."

New venue

County Council ‘Ignoring’ Poor State of Local Roads Under the Highways Act 1980, owners and
occupiers are required to:

* trim hedges and trees to ensure growth does not obscure the view of road signs.

* trim roadside hedges to maintain visibility for road users, particularly at junctions and on the inside of bends.

* trim any hedge that directly abuts a road, footway, cycleway or public right of way so that growth does not prevent the passage or affect the safety of the highway user, including cyclists and pedestrians.

* remove dead or decaying trees and other growth that may fall across the highway.

* remove branches and other growth that may prevent the passage of high sided vehicles or obstruct light from a public lamp (street light).

* ensure the highway (including the footway and drainage features) is left clear of debris from the cutting operations.

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Flood Plain Reprieve For Roding Residents As Agency Puts Project On Hold

Proposals to create a flood storage area on the River Roding in Stanford Rivers have been postponed by the Environment Agency.

There had been strong objections to the plan from local residents who feared the proposal, to alleviate flooding downstream in the Woodford area, would lead to an increase of instances of flooding in Stanford Rivers.

The Environment Agency said a shortage of available funding meant the plan would be put on hold for at least 10 years.

It added that while it accepted the creation of the flood storage area would cause considerable difficulties for the properties at 157 and 159 London Road, it would not be built at all if there was evidence that additional properties would be affected.

River Maintenance

However, the agency did confirm that it was stopping maintenance work on the river, such as clearing blockages and silt, because it no longer could afford it. Responsibility for this work will now fall on the owners of the land alongside the Roding.

There are concerns that this move alone will lead to increased flooding risk, particularly in the tributaries such as Stanford Hall Brook, which regularly overflows across London Road at Bridge Farm.

Parish Councillor Ron Haydon, who has been leading the campaign against the decision, said: “Any blockages on the Roding will slow the flow which will lead the tributaries to back up and the damage this could cause has not been taken into consideration.” Flood simulation model.

In response the Environment Agency said it had started working on new computer modelling to emulate the effect of flooding on the Roding’s tributaries and this now included Stanford Hall Brook.

In a statement, the agency added: ”To enable us to fully understand the issues on the brook and to make the appropriate response, it is important that we have the results of the new model available to us. Only at that point will we be able to provide further information to you on the current flood risk in your parish."

The new model will be complete in May 2012. However, any flood risk caused by the condition of Stanford Hall Brook is currently and will continue to be the responsibility of the Riparian Owners.”

The withdrawal of maintenance along the Roding north of the M25 is expected to save in the region of £150,000 per annum.