Tag Archives: Lower Street

Update on Lower Street roadworks

From: on behalf of Works Communication Team/EAI/SCC <works.communication@surreycc.gov.uk>
Sent: 14 August 2019 14:20:36
To: Nikki Barton <Nikki.Barton@surreycc.gov.uk>
Subject: RE: Road works Lower St Haslemere

Dear Nikki Barton

Thank you for getting in touch. Firstly I would like to provide some background on the purpose of this work and the complications this scheme has presented.

The works on Lower Street involve construction of new drainage and are primarily to remove a flood risk to a property where the highways drains pass beneath it, by rerouting our pipes. This involves digging a new pipe through private land in a restricted area, between two houses and a garage parking area, through a retaining wall, along a footpath and to a chamber.

There are a great deal of utility services underneath the road surface (please see below pictures and map) and ultimately it is these services which actually dictate what is possible. Due to the significant amount of underground services the team are using a vacuum excavator as this is a far safer way for our team to remove spoil than a conventional digger. Using this equipment mitigates any risk to their personal safety, which is of utmost importance to us.

We have gatemen present at each end of Lower Street, their role is to remain at either end of the road and ensure the public do not enter the live works site. The area the team are working in is outside of a property called Tisa Cottage. Whilst they may not be visible from either end of the road, I can assure you that the team are on site, working extremely hard on a daily basis and are making progress.

On Monday I was advised that the team had got to a point where they have found the unknown buried pipe and this has determined the level for the rest of the works. Our engineer believes they have found a route through the services to allow installation of the new pipework and the team on site are working towards this. There are difficulties with some of the existing pipes which the new pipes need to be connected to, as they are encased in brick. This may mean that the team have to dig further to achieve the connections or do something a little differently. The excavations are a bit larger than initially hoped for but unfortunately this is unavoidable. Please see attached a copy of the original plans for this scheme which should demonstrate what the team set out to achieve.

Looking at the original plans it is clear that this a particularly difficult site with many utility services, this makes progress slow and the design has to be adapted to suit what is unearthed. The team had previously investigated as thoroughly as possible having camera surveyed the drain runs and used ground probing radar to identify services and hence a probable route for the new pipes, however it is only when the ground is actually excavated that the realities of the situation are revealed.

The equipment being used, the width of the road and the size of excavation required mean that a road closure is necessary. Another reason, that may not be immediately obvious, is that live traffic cannot run too close to the hole due to the pressure that is transmitted to the sides of the excavation by vehicles. We really don’t want to close roads unless we have to and do not make the decision lightly. There are many variables we have to consider including the site operations, the size of the road and the safety of both the travelling public and our work force. For Lower Street this criteria meant a closure.

Please see attached site diaries from the 7 and 8 August which detail work progress with photographic evidence of work taking place. Please be advised these site diaries belong to one individual on site and their start time does not necessarily reflect the time that everyone was on site.

The lead engineer on this project is satisfied with the progress on site. Considering the difficulties the team have faced, they are working extremely hard and going the extra mile where necessary to support the residents living in the works area, whilst carrying out their work to a good standard. I hope this help to reassure you and your residents that work is taking place and progress being made.

In view of the above, I will be updating our road works map pop-out with a PDF document that explains the work and has pictures of our progress so far. I hope that this will highlight to the public the challenges the team have faced on this scheme and the extent of works being carried out. I’m hoping that explaining what we are trying to achieve will justify the length of time we need for this work and why it is essential that the road is closed whilst we carry out the work.

I would be very grateful if you could direct your residents to the information on roadworks.org and if there are further queries please could they be sent to us in the Works Communications Team.

Kind regards

Works Communication Officer

Works Communication Team

Surrey Highways

Tel: 01483 404618

New Bus Shelters in Lower Street, Haslemere. Your feedback please.

Surrey County Council is proposing to install 3 bus shelters (see image below this paragraph) along the back of the bus layover bay on Lower Street next to Haslemere train station.  The shelters will each have a perch bench for seating and lighting.  The Haslemere Community Rail Partnership and the South Downs National Park have agreed to provide town maps and images of the South Downs National Park for the back walls of the shelters. (I wrote about this in my most recent county councillor update here.)

Mock Up of Bus Shelters in Lower Street outside Haslemere Train Station

Mock Up of Bus Shelters in Lower Street outside Haslemere Train Station

Together the shelters will provide 12 metres of covered, lit waiting area for those waiting to be picked up or dropped off before catching the train or school buses.  The need to provide alternative sheltered, lit pick up zones in order to reduce congestion at peak times in the station forecourt was identified as a priority by the Haslemere Station Travel Plan.

Please would you get in touch with me by 8th February if you have any feedback on these plans. My e-mail address is nikki.barton@surreycc.gov.uk

Councillor Update

Here’s my Councillor update from recent weeks.

1. Waverley Parking Review: parking proposals discussed at Local Area Committee Meeting December 13, 2013.  Necessary changes proposed based on safety, accessibility and efficiency of parking capacity. The statutory traffic order notices marking the start of the 28 day consultation period will be printed in the Haslemere Herald in the first week of March, 2014.  To speed up the decision and implementation process, a special parking meeting, open to the public, will be held on May 9th, 2014 (ahead of the July LAC), 1.30pm, Godalming Baptist Church.

2. Foster’s Bridge: To address the flooding problem, SCC Highways have recently installed six new gullies, and installed larger frames and lids on the six existing gullies to increase the catchment area for runoff. To reduce the debris that currently washes down into the gullies during heavy rains from the railway embankment, a retaining curb has been constructed. In the longer term SCC is carrying out an investigation into the issue and I have secured Local Area Committee funding to carry out any more significant works should they be identified as necessary.

3. Haslemere train station, Multi-Storey Car Park planning application:  Met with Jeremy Hunt to express my concerns about the current application. This letter sent to Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin outlines these issues.

4. David McNulty, Chief Executive Surrey County Council Haslemere visit 17th Jan, 2014 (find briefing note for the visit here). I wanted to show David McNulty that, while the perception of Haslemere held by many I meet up at County Hall that Haslemere is indeed one of great privilege, such a view fails to recognise that Haslemere is also a community facing many challenges including economic hardship and isolation. The aim was for a range of members of our community to be heard first hand by the Chief Executive so that any future strategic or operational discussions, relevant to Haslemere, at Cabinet and Executive level would be based on a more informed understanding.  Helen Bowcock, High Sheriff for Surrey joined the visit.  The feedback from the visit was extremely positive.

5. Members Allocation 2013/14:  Funds allocated to date:

  • £500 Skateboard event, August 2013
  • £500 Looked After Children Fund, contribution to personal savings scheme for children in SCC care
  • £200 contribution to new tree at the bottom of Shepherds Hill to replace badly split old tree
  • £400 Tennyson’s Sure Start Children’s Centre, wet weather clothing
  • £551.20 The Wave, hedge trimmer: the Wave, volunteer group providing free home and gardening help to the vulnerable and elderly
  • £765 Haslemere Scouts: new tents and mess tent
  • £2400 Crossways Counselling, start up costs for couples and family therapy provision

To be confirmed:

  • Approx £5000 bus shelter, Critchmere Ave and Border Road
  • £2000 Haslemere First Responders: 2 full medical kits including portable defibrillators for newly qualified First Responders
  • £TBC Haslemere Hockey Club: schools and disability program
  • £TBC Haslemere Football Club: exchange visit
  • £TBC Haslemere Pavillion Recreation Ground Association:  repairs

Funding the bus shelter may mean that funding for the Haste Hill railings work will not be possible this year from SCC members’ allocation.  To be discussed with HTC to understand if HTC Community Fund/Lengthsman Scheme funding could be used for this project.

6. Shepherds Hill/Lower Street Railings: Held lengthy discussions with SCC Highways. John Hilder, SCC Highways sent the following to residents to explain the SCC position.

I am writing to reiterate my decision, which remains as before, that incurring further public expense on replacing or materially altering the railings installed in Shepherds Hill last year is not justified, and that we will now proceed with completing outstanding works on these and the railings in Lower Street, as well as resurfacing the footway there.

To recap – the then SCC councillor, Steve Renshaw, sponsored the new railings in both roads using his member allocations accumulated over two years.  A consultative group intended to agree the style of the new railings and comprising borough, town and county councillors & officers was established but failed to meet, and the style was eventually selected by WBC planning/conservation officers. There have been complaints about the lack of consultation with residents, but Steve Renshaw, representing the residents of Haslemere, did not require such consultation and SCC Highways would not normally consult residents for this type of project, rather the relevant planning and conservation authorities.

I have agreement from SCC and WBC that if residents approve, planters will be provided for the railings on Lower Street.

6. Youth Task Group, Jan 20th, 2014: discussion of Local Prevention Framework, Services for Young People and the Individual Prevention Grants.

7. Local Area Committee, private meeting, Jan 29th, 2014:

Project Horizon, roads to be reconstructed as part of Program Year 1: Shepherd’s Hill, Courts Hill Road, Weysprings, Sandrock (dates advised as April 2014, but bad weather is causing delay).  It was agreed with the Project Horizon team that the junction area of Shepherd’s Hill and Lower Street will be repaired as part of the Shepherd’s Hill reconstruction.

Family, Friends and Community Support team, highlighted the role of Surrey Information Point- www.surreyinformationpoint.org.uk – for care, community and health information and support available locally.  Any local group providing community services is encouraged to include their details on the website.

Surrey Cycle Strategy, Local Area Committees have been given the responsibility of preparing local cycle plans by the end of 2015. I raised the issue of improving provision for cyclists within the road resurfacing project known as Project Horizon.  The SCC Highways team confirmed that Surrey’s cycling team will be involved when resurfacing is planned. It was agreed during the meeting that the Waverley Cycle Forum should be involved in both local cycle plan, and Project Horizon discussions.

8. Additional Highways Information:

VAS speed sign on Grayswood Road approach into Haslemere has been vandalised. Repairs will be carried out in the next 2 weeks.

A number of street lights are not working. Skanska will be repairing in the next two weeks.

Fallen trees are blocking the footpath that runs parallel to the railway line from St Bart’s Church to the back of High Lane. A ‘vegetation gang’ will be working next week to remove these and other fallen trees.

I am meeting with members of the SCC Strategy team to discuss commissioning a full transport/movement study for Haslemere, including some scenario visioning along the lines of the current Guildford City Council project.

7. Meeting with Haslemere Town Council on 30th January 2014: Presented a summary of the above items to the members present.

OTHER ITEMS:

8. Update from Haslemere Library: National Libraries Day – Saturday 8 February 2014

National Libraries Day is a successful initiative for advocacy; on the day there will be events in libraries throughout the county resulting in media and social network interest. Haslemere Library will be promoting what they do and why it is valuable during their event. Follow Haslemere Library on Twitter, @HaslemereLib.

9: Traffic bulletin: Hindhead Tunnel closures cancelled, Surrey: HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release issued 31 January 2014 http://www.highways.gov.uk/news/press-releases/traffic-bulletin-hindhead-tunnel-closures-cancelled-surrey/

Road users were advised that the planned full closure of the A3 Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey for Friday 31 January and Saturday 1 February were cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

Forecast weather of strong winds and heavy rainfall meant that it would be unsafe to carry out the work and operate a full closure of the tunnel. The closures are required for systems maintenance to be carried out, both inside and outside the tunnel, and these will now be rescheduled.

10: Surrey Uncovered: all the facts at your fingertips

Visit Surrey-i, http://www.surreyi.gov.uk/MainMenu.aspx type “Surrey Uncovered” into the search box, Google style, and have a look at the wealth of insight we have made publicly available.

11. Wey Hill Fairground Public Inquiry: I very much welcome the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to change the venue of the Fairground car park public inquiry from Godalming to Haslemere. GIven the strength of public feeling about the Waverley’s planning application that has resulted in this public inquiry being called, it would be an extraordinary decision to choose a venue outside Haslemere. While I support the inquiry as part of a democratic process via which the community will be given the opportunity to express their views about the resurfacing an area of common land and the installation of lighting columns and pay and display meters, I am most concerned that WBC have set aside £30,000 of tax payers money to fund this inquiry, (initially £20,000 was set aside with, I understand, a further £10,000 recently agreed).

Given the current financial cut backs facing local government services, and the strength of public opposition to Waverley’s plans for the site, I would suggest that a far better use of £30,000 of tax  payers money would be to resurface the site and let it remain as a valuable source of free parking for both commuters and all those that use the short stay parking to visit the public library, shops and businesses in Wey Hill.

I urge everyone to attend the public meeting on April 8th, 9th and 10th to express their views. It will be held at The Royal School, in Haslemere.