27th Apr 2010 13:23
Posted by: County Councillor Tom Phelps Penry
Posted by: County Councillor Tom Phelps Penry
There has been a collective sigh of relief that the original plan to close Seven Hills Road for a minimum period of 7 months by Southern Gas network, has been reduced to a more acceptable timetable, which, following the work carried out over New Year, is given below:
04/01/10 - 31/01/10: Lane restrictions in Seven Hills South
15/03/10 - 11/04/10: Lane restrictions on Queens Road roundabout
29/03/10 - 11/04/10: Seven Hills Road closed. The road will reopen on 12/04/10
20/06/10 - - 29/08/10: Seven Hills Road closed. The road will reopen on 30/08/10
Though SCC had been involved for months, little was known about this closure, and there was no public announcement or consultation. It was left to local groups to discover what was happening.
The Weybridge Society led the way by sending a very detailed and well thought out objection to Philip Hammond MP, the local press, County and Borough Councillors. I also wrote to the Chief Executive at SCC (see below) drawing his attention to this problem, and asked that SCC urgently looks into implementing the same arrangement recently organised in Kent where the Local Authority has much greater power over Utilities including the ability to impose heavy financial penalties for over running of roadworks.
On the 13th of November , Leader of Elmbridge Borough Council and County Councillor Roy Taylor made the following comments "I am afraid that the Utility companies are not controlled by SCC and accordingly can do much as they like but we have put enormous pressure on Southern Gas Network ......EBC has no part to play other than being frustrated onlookers".
On the 27th November the new 12 week schedule was announced at the Hilton Hotel exhibition which I attended, along with Walton Society Councillors, the Society Secretary and Vice Chairman. With further contributions from many members of the Public, local businesses and the Hersham Village Society, along with a petition organised by the St Georges Hill RA Councillors, the schedule has been further amended so that most of the work will occur during the School summer holidays. Clearly this success has been achieved by pressure from our MP, local people, the local amenity Societies and their Councillors. I raised a question at the December SCC meeting because I feel that the handling of this whole matter by SCC has unfortunately lost the waning confidence of the Electorate and has brought the reputation of the Council into disrepute. Tom Phelps Penry
This is the letter sent by our County Councillor Tom Phelps Penry to the Chief Executive of Surrey County Council to complain about the threatened long term Seven Hills Road closure.
04/01/10 - 31/01/10: Lane restrictions in Seven Hills South
15/03/10 - 11/04/10: Lane restrictions on Queens Road roundabout
29/03/10 - 11/04/10: Seven Hills Road closed. The road will reopen on 12/04/10
20/06/10 - - 29/08/10: Seven Hills Road closed. The road will reopen on 30/08/10
Though SCC had been involved for months, little was known about this closure, and there was no public announcement or consultation. It was left to local groups to discover what was happening.
The Weybridge Society led the way by sending a very detailed and well thought out objection to Philip Hammond MP, the local press, County and Borough Councillors. I also wrote to the Chief Executive at SCC (see below) drawing his attention to this problem, and asked that SCC urgently looks into implementing the same arrangement recently organised in Kent where the Local Authority has much greater power over Utilities including the ability to impose heavy financial penalties for over running of roadworks.
On the 13th of November , Leader of Elmbridge Borough Council and County Councillor Roy Taylor made the following comments "I am afraid that the Utility companies are not controlled by SCC and accordingly can do much as they like but we have put enormous pressure on Southern Gas Network ......EBC has no part to play other than being frustrated onlookers".
On the 27th November the new 12 week schedule was announced at the Hilton Hotel exhibition which I attended, along with Walton Society Councillors, the Society Secretary and Vice Chairman. With further contributions from many members of the Public, local businesses and the Hersham Village Society, along with a petition organised by the St Georges Hill RA Councillors, the schedule has been further amended so that most of the work will occur during the School summer holidays. Clearly this success has been achieved by pressure from our MP, local people, the local amenity Societies and their Councillors. I raised a question at the December SCC meeting because I feel that the handling of this whole matter by SCC has unfortunately lost the waning confidence of the Electorate and has brought the reputation of the Council into disrepute. Tom Phelps Penry
The Chief Executive
Surrey County Counci,
County Hall
Penryn Road,
Kingston-upon-Thames 20 November 2009
Dear Mr McNulty,
Re: Gas main replacement Seven Hills Road (B365)
Following my re-election as a County Councillor last May I have taken a particular interest in Surrey Highways and am a member of the Transport Committee. I am therefore very concerned with the proposed closure of Seven Hills Road and the manner in which this seems to have been handled by Surrey County Council.
I fully understand the vital importance of these works. However, this road is an important artery in the local road network, providing access to the A3 and the M25 and there is no simple means of diverting traffic from it. The road is often heavily congested and its closure will have serious consequences for the area. Apart from a statutory notice in the back pages of the local newspaper, there seems to have been no public consultation over this matter which will cause inconvenience and financial loss to many people. There is already mounting anger from the public who expect their Council to protect their interests.
As it is proposed to do the work on the Hilton Hotel - Byfleet Road stretch before Christmas, may I suggest that this work is closely monitored? It will be interesting to note the scale of resources that Southern Gas put into this project both in terms of personnel and time. The gas main replacement that was carried out a few years ago involving the partial closure of Sir Richards Bridge in Walton, overran by at least the original estimated time, yet only a few men seemed to be working on it and there were times when no work seemed to be going on at all.
It is clearly a pity that work cannot go on 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, for with modern lighting and quiet generators there seems little reason as to why work cannot continue at night. Perhaps the whole project should be deferred to next summer so that advantage may be taken of longer daylight hours. The excuse given by Southern Gas about not working at weekends is questionable, and one wonders whether the real reason is more to do with economics than that given. Southern Gas need to study how Seeboard responded to the aftermath of the 1987 hurricane. Crews were brought in from all the regions of the country as well as from Ireland in order to cope with the scale of repairs needed. This situation merits a similar response.
The fact that utilities work on other roads in the area is being deferred seems to suggest that SCC has got more influence over utilities than it makes out. However, it is almost inevitable that over a seven month period there will be emergency closures of the M25 or A3 due to accidents or to local roads due to utility problems, flooding or accidents. If, as anticipated, the effect on the local traffic pattern is unacceptable, then what power does SCC have to force curtailment of the work so that the road can be re-opened?
This situation does give rise to the need for SCC to have greater control of the activities of Utilities and so could I request that SCC urgently looks into the arrangements set up recently in Kent, where Government authority has been gained for the Council to control roadworks with heavy financial penalties for overrunning.
I do feel that Surrey County Council needs to demonstrate a far more robust approach to Southern Gas as the 7 month period of possible closure of such an important through route is, in the minds of many, completely unacceptable. I welcome an urgent response to this letter, as there is a public presentation on this matter at the Hilton Hotel in Cobham next Friday.
Yours sincerely,
County Councillor Tom Phelps Penry
Surrey County Counci,
County Hall
Penryn Road,
Kingston-upon-Thames 20 November 2009
Dear Mr McNulty,
Re: Gas main replacement Seven Hills Road (B365)
Following my re-election as a County Councillor last May I have taken a particular interest in Surrey Highways and am a member of the Transport Committee. I am therefore very concerned with the proposed closure of Seven Hills Road and the manner in which this seems to have been handled by Surrey County Council.
I fully understand the vital importance of these works. However, this road is an important artery in the local road network, providing access to the A3 and the M25 and there is no simple means of diverting traffic from it. The road is often heavily congested and its closure will have serious consequences for the area. Apart from a statutory notice in the back pages of the local newspaper, there seems to have been no public consultation over this matter which will cause inconvenience and financial loss to many people. There is already mounting anger from the public who expect their Council to protect their interests.
As it is proposed to do the work on the Hilton Hotel - Byfleet Road stretch before Christmas, may I suggest that this work is closely monitored? It will be interesting to note the scale of resources that Southern Gas put into this project both in terms of personnel and time. The gas main replacement that was carried out a few years ago involving the partial closure of Sir Richards Bridge in Walton, overran by at least the original estimated time, yet only a few men seemed to be working on it and there were times when no work seemed to be going on at all.
It is clearly a pity that work cannot go on 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, for with modern lighting and quiet generators there seems little reason as to why work cannot continue at night. Perhaps the whole project should be deferred to next summer so that advantage may be taken of longer daylight hours. The excuse given by Southern Gas about not working at weekends is questionable, and one wonders whether the real reason is more to do with economics than that given. Southern Gas need to study how Seeboard responded to the aftermath of the 1987 hurricane. Crews were brought in from all the regions of the country as well as from Ireland in order to cope with the scale of repairs needed. This situation merits a similar response.
The fact that utilities work on other roads in the area is being deferred seems to suggest that SCC has got more influence over utilities than it makes out. However, it is almost inevitable that over a seven month period there will be emergency closures of the M25 or A3 due to accidents or to local roads due to utility problems, flooding or accidents. If, as anticipated, the effect on the local traffic pattern is unacceptable, then what power does SCC have to force curtailment of the work so that the road can be re-opened?
This situation does give rise to the need for SCC to have greater control of the activities of Utilities and so could I request that SCC urgently looks into the arrangements set up recently in Kent, where Government authority has been gained for the Council to control roadworks with heavy financial penalties for overrunning.
I do feel that Surrey County Council needs to demonstrate a far more robust approach to Southern Gas as the 7 month period of possible closure of such an important through route is, in the minds of many, completely unacceptable. I welcome an urgent response to this letter, as there is a public presentation on this matter at the Hilton Hotel in Cobham next Friday.
Yours sincerely,
County Councillor Tom Phelps Penry
