Pothole Parade

[Stanley]

There's something about metal standards that contain electrical connections that attracts male dogs and they pee on them to mark them. The older cast iron ones and concrete withstand the corrosive effects far better than the thinner metal ones.

[David Whipp]

The new metal posts are galvanised with a bituminous coating from just above where they go into the ground. Let's see how well they last.

[Stanley]

How long before Tories claim credit for the resurfacing in Coates? I note your report that AS horned in on the defibrillator inauguration.....

[David Whipp]

Coates Avenue at the Skipton Road end yesterday after the gang had finished putting down the black stuff.

(The problem for those that make empty credit claims is that they can't show the interest. There's an audit trail going back several years from my lot documenting the campaign to get the road repaired...)

[Stanley]

But that doesn't stop them grabbing headlines. How many electors have followed the story and know the detail? Hitler demonstrated that the 'Big Lie' is very effective....

[David Whipp]

Reported this for repair the day after it happened the other week.

A few years ago, we got some money from planning gain to ease the radius on the corner. However, there's a cellar extending under the land at the front of the Chinese so it wasn't possible. The large metal deflectors were put in instead. But they don't stop the guardrail being trashed regularly.

I've asked if the stop line on Essex Street could be set back so that artics could achieve a wider swing around the corner, but the county council hasn't shown willing. Will have another do at them about it.

[Stanley]

The Victorian answer was a cast iron deflection block big enough to deflect/damage the offending vehicle.

[David Whipp]

The two blocks on the corner are designed to do that, but obviously fail...

[David Whipp]

I've had a response from the county council about the dodgy sign and lamp posts in Barnoldswick town centre (anyone know where the one pictured above is?). A manager has emailed:

Can I update you with regards to your concerns regarding the sign poles in Barnoldswick town centre. The sign poles where you identified the poor state of the doors presented a hazard, we have fitted replacement doors. A survey of the signs has been carried out and the poles which require replacement, will be replaced, as part of a programme which will be done in conjunction with the highways department. Unfortunately I cannot give you an exact start date because we need to order some materials and liaise with sign engineers with regards to funding. I can assure you however that I will let you know when we are starting the work and that it will be in the near future.

[Stanley]

Funny, I know this one but can't bring it to mind, I have seen this unusual (for Barlick) block paving somewhere but can't bring it to mind.... (is it in Back Albert Road?)
I see in the BET that Andrew Stephenson has jumped on the pothole bandwagon re. the Lomeshaye Industrial estate. I also note that the identification of a turning area for the buses at Greenberfield Lane is entirely down to the young councillor for Coates.... Really?

[David Whipp]

Not on back Albert Road.

I'm asking when the mainline buses will return to Gisburn Road; as that's what Cllr Davy campaigned for... all that's been achieved is somewhere for the town bus to turn.

What's actually been provided is a bus reversing area, which we were told was unsafe and not allowed with passengers on board.

[David Whipp]

With a dearth of new potholes to picture, this topic is suffering from a seasonal shortage. (Soon to get even worse, as Skipton Road is due to have structural patching carried out in a couple of weeks which will cause a rich source of pothole pictures to dry up.)

I could use the stock of rotten street sign poles for a few posts, but that seems a bit too dry, even for me. (By the way, the last picture was on Rainhall Road outside what is now Wave of Nostalgia.)

As I'm currently taking pictures of people's gardens (for the Barnoldswick in Bloom Awards), I'll give this topic a summer holiday and start another with flowery photos.

No doubt there'll be another crop of potholes to capture come winter. Meanwhile, if you come across one in West Craven please post a pic on here!

[Stanley]

Now there's a challenge. I shall be looking out for infrastructure failings....

[David Whipp]

Doubt if there'll be a severe shortage anytime soon, Stanley!

I mentioned about things slotting into place the other week; when we audited the town centre for grot prior to the Britain in Bloom judging, I spotted a developing hole in the bitmac on Ellis Street. I reported it to highways, though didn't expect, or ask, for it to be sorted out in time for the bloom judging. When we did the tour, I was mildly surprised to see that the hole had recently been neatly patched. Even more surprised when Richard at the Chippy told me afterwards that the county gang had repaired it only half an hour before we came round...

Yesterday, the lady at Glory Glory mentioned she'd contacted highways about water coming off the pavement into her cellar and was delighted that the gang turned up to sort it out within 24 hours.

As mentioned elsewhere, am having some issues with highways at LCC, but credit where it's due!

[chinatyke]

Not on back Albert Road.
What's actually been provided is a bus reversing area, which we were told was unsafe and not allowed with passengers on board.

Nanny state! How does disembarking passengers make the operation safer? Would the bus be reversing at such a speed that the passengers would be likely to be injured if they stayed on board?

On Wednesday I was on my way home by bus. As the bus made its way onto a suspension bridge a car cut in front of it and our driver made a quick stop. The engine stalled and refused to re-start and the bus was blocking the carriageway. The driver said something in Chinese and most of the passengers got off and started pushing the bus until the driver could jump start it. Problem solved!

Now you might thing this didn't happen in Britain, but it used to do. Back in the bad winter of 1963 I was on a Ribble bus going from Colne to Barlick, going up the steep hill on Whitemoor Road out of Foulridge towards Whitemoor Reservoir, when it started sliding on the icy road at the steep part on the sharp corner and came to a stop. Everyone got out and pushed the bus and walked the rest of the way to the top of the hill. No one complained, it was just a fun thing that brightened the journey. What would happen now? The good old days!

[David Whipp]

What would happen now?

The sensible thing, China; route the bus service on the bottom road!

Agree with your sentiments, though.

There were two good things that came out of bus de-regulation in 1985; freedom from having to run archaic routes and the Barlick Town Service (and other round the houses services, I suppose).

Having said that, I was a staunch defender of the 294, which was the remnant of the service over the tops, and managed to keep it going for several years.

This bit me in the bum though when I was rushing to a meeting and crashed into the front of the 294 near Woodend...

An unfortunate thing about the Syke hiatus is that it has taken attention away from re-routing the town service up Manchester Road and providing a service to Tubber Hill and Dales View, which have no service at all after the 294 was scrapped.

[Stanley]

I met the bus on the top road quite often when I was delivering cattle and we never had any problem. One of us backed up until we could make room for the other. If the bus backed up the passengers never got out and when you think about it they would have been in greater danger if they did!

[PanBiker]

Walking back from work at 1.00pm yesterday I saw the Mainline bus (complete with passengers) using Silentnight frontage area as a turning point. It did involve a three point turn in the space available, including reversing around the fork lifts loading the wagons. Don't know if the driver was lost or this is part of the route. Normal sized single decker not a town hopper.

[David Whipp]

Some of the mainline services are routed via Silentnight; didn't realise they were doing wheelies in the yard!

It sounds like we were sold a porker on the bus reversing 'rule'.

[David Whipp]

I said I was going to give this a rest, but I have to show you the state of back Rainhall Road.

Here it is with my email to LCC below.



Hi.

Back Rainhall Road, Barnoldswick, Ellis Street to Frank Street, is very badly broken up along its full length.

This is a very well used shared surface, with pedestrians using it as much as they would a pavement to access the Post Office from the ginnel off Rainhall Road at the top of Ellis Street. The highway is also the only access to several first floor flats on Rainhall Road and is used extensively by vehicular traffic off Ellis Street (which would otherwise be a cul-de-sac).

I’ve repeatedly reported trips on this section over the last few years; some of these have been filled in. However the old material on top of the setts is perished and continues to break up in new places. At the moment, there are multiple locations where the intervention level for pavements and carriageways is exceeded.

I attach a picture of the section.

The street was one of the locations visited by a senior highway manager earlier this year and was subjected afterwards to a repeat inspection by a highway inspector who reported a few trips to be dealt with, which I think were done (although given its current condition, you wouldn’t know).

Given the town centre location, nature of use, condition and in order to stop throwing good money after bad, my view is that this needs to be relaid as soon as possible.

Are you able to arrange for this to be done?

Thanks.

David

PS The good news is that the narrow section of bitmac between the gable walls and drainage chanel (on the left as pictured) is in decent condition….

[Stanley]

Keep at 'em David!

[David Whipp]

Holding response from the number 2 in that directorate when I got home yesterday, promising to investigate. (This is the same chap I was 'oining last week to get the road closure decision changed...)

[David Whipp]

Fatal words saying I was going to give this topic a rest for a while.

On my mission putting road closure signs up this morning I came across this nasty piece of metalwork on Wellhouse Road.



It's the cover for a gas cock which I reported loose several weeks ago. Put metal back into place. Fresh report winging its way to LCC.

[David Whipp]

Just popped home from Beach. Have received this email from LCC about the loose cover I first reported in May:

Thank you for your enquiry. According to our records your original request was forwarded to the highways team for attention on 19/05/2014

Our latest information is: The problem was investigated and the highways inspector ordered action to be taken. We have escalated this due to your recent e-mail (with photo attached) and requested that the highways inspector contacts you with more information. You should receive a response shortly.

[Stanley]

That manhole in Gisburn Road at the bottom of Dam Head Road is still loose....