who schedules road works?

[iamyamyam]

On Forest Hill road there is one set of lights at the junction with Wood vale ( gas works), they've been there about two weeks. Today another company started digging up the road with another set of lights ~300m away on the junction with honor oak rise.

I asked the new guys if their lights were co-ordinated with the ligths down the road - they're not.

So there are cars "trapped" between the lights, people running the lights due to frustration and a general mess.

Does anyone know who licenses road works or approves what works should go on at the same time?

Particularly concerned as my wife is due to give birth any minute and together these roadworks have added ~20 mins onto our journey!! eek!

[dbboy]

think you mean Woodvale

[Polly D]

I would take that up with the council. Though it might be Southwark/Lewisham borders, which could even explain the problem.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I was at a rather boring business dinner a few weeks ago where Boris was key note speaker. Other than congratulating London mothers and Gu puddings as being the most productive sectors in the capital he announved that control of road works was to be taken from the utilities.

At the moment the gas/electricity companies have carte blanche to dig where and when they like, a right dating back to when they were publically owned and so providing a public service.

The idea is to coordinate road works and to charge the utilities rent for the space that they are working in, thus reducing disruption and ensuring that the amount of time spent on any given job is reduced as they will be charged by the day.

[Sandperson]

And presumably meaning they rush the jobs even more leaving the road surfaces in an even more shocking state than they are already.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> And presumably meaning they rush the jobs even

> more leaving the road surfaces in an even more

> shocking state than they are already.

Well, at least somebody is trying to find a solution to the problem. "Shocking" road surfaces? No. A bit lumpy at times, but not shocking. There are many other things that should be classed as "shocking", not our roads. Honestly.

[PeckhamRose]

OMG Boris keeping to another of his manifesto promises?

I'm scared - I'm really scared - I never voted for him but he keeps doing the right thing!

But indeed yes there are quite a lot of similar things around London (I ride my motorcycle around London quite a bit) where there are two or three road works with traffic lights not connected, in one street. So thanks for letting us know he intends to do something about that!

[Sandperson]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sandperson Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > And presumably meaning they rush the jobs even

> > more leaving the road surfaces in an even more

> > shocking state than they are already.

>

>

> Well, at least somebody is trying to find a

> solution to the problem. "Shocking" road surfaces?

> No. A bit lumpy at times, but not shocking. There

> are many other things that should be classed as

> "shocking", not our roads. Honestly.

I am sorry Michael you are wrong. I ride a bike (I'm sure that makes me unpopular) every day to work and the state of some of the roads in East Dulwich, Peckham and Nunhead are shocking and in some cases dangerous, not just 'a bit lumpy'.

I ride on skinny tyres now but even when I used to ride in on a mountian bike there were certain stretches of road where I would have to turn the suspension on. I have seen at least two people being taken off their bikes by potholes in the area. I would call that shocking. Honestly.

[iamyamyam]

I wrote to the council and they wrote back last night. They're sending somone out today to see what the trouble is, hopefully they can sort it out. Thanks to the council for getting back to me so quickly

[Michael Palaeologus]

I call knife crime and fatal fires in tower blocks shocking.

Bumpy roads are inconvenient.

[Sandperson]

Forgive me Michael. I bow to your pedantic semantics.

[skidmarks]

These has been legislation out there since 1991 (New roads and street works act 1991) to coordinate all road works and it does work sometimes. Anyone proposing to dig a hole in the road has to apply for an opening notice from the Highway Authority and these can be refused, however what you find is that statutory undertakers (gas, water, electric etc) will apply saying their works is an ?emergency? so the HA can?t refuse an opening notice.

What Boris is going on about is charging for each opening notice where the SU will provide a length of time the road will be dug up. If I was working for the gas company and I thought the work would take 1 month, I?d apply for 2 months just in case to avoid the possible fines.

Same old same old!

[ED Newbie]

I live quite close to these temporary traffic lights (grrrr) and last night saw some guy at approx 6.45pm get out of his car whilst holding all the traffic behind him that just got through the green lights to have a right old barney with another guy because he got over taken.

There is little or no signage to guide drivers that that they should be following the road to the left, but because of the how far down the road has been dug up it seems a close cut to make this manouver last minute. People are using the oncoming traffic lane - there are two and not single file (there is a right hand turn)

I hope that make sence but if the council used their nod a bit better i.e. using proper cables to hold up their sigage and clearly marked arrows I hope I dont have to see a fisty cuff on my door step.

[iamyamyam]

Hiya Newbie,

It's not the council that are digging up the road or putting up the signs. The road works near Wood vale are a contractor of british gas. The one near Honor oak rise is a contractor of BT.

I contacted the council about the Honor oak rise lights and today they were gone. If your concerned over the signs maybe drop them a line on

Environment Services

[email protected]

020 7525 2000

and see what they can do

[Don Quixote]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Forgive me Michael. I bow to your pedantic

> semantics.

Surely you mean semantic pedantry!

[ED Newbie]

Thanks iamyamyam :)

[Laurie Eggleston]

I requested an explanation from Council officers about what went wrong with these road works and the Council?s Roads team have now given me an update.

Southern Gas Networks were initially replacing gas mains on Forest Hill Road. SGN discussed these works with the Council prior to commencing, though they appear to have commenced the works without first having submitted the required street works notice. This is an offence and the Council are currently looking at enforcement options which may include fines being issued to the company or prosecution.

BT were then also scheduled to start works on the road. They suggested at an early meeting with the council that they?d need temporary traffic lights and when they submitted their street works notice, it stated they?d only need signs and guards (no traffic lights). Obviously they then turned up and set up the traffic lights.

Both companies failed to comply with the procedures in place - the Council are apparently now arranging a meeting between SGN, BT and themselves to see what steps need to be taken to ensure it does not happen again, and to notify them of what enforcement will be applied, so at least these companies will face a penalty for causing traffic chaos.

Credit to iamyamyam ? as soon as he reported it to the council, action was taken to shift the lights.

Cheers

Laurie

www.laurieeggleston.org

www.twitter.com/Laurie1984

[iamyamyam]

Dear Laurie,

Many thanks for following up on this -it's great news. I was just impressed that the council sorted out the traffic lights issue straight away. I'm glad Southwark are standing up to the big utility companies on our behalf, let's hope they follow the correct procedures in future.

Thanks again for raising this with the council and seeing it through

[SteveT]

who schedules road works?

I would suspect it is co-ordinated by a blind, deaf, quadraplegic, living in a basement who doesn't get out too much to see the results of all the....er carefully planned diggings.