Steve -No apology was necessary, (but thanks anyway) - I was just attempting to clarify my role and manage any expectation that I could continue to post on a range of matters outside my portfolio. Notwithstanding this, and with a view to giving subscribers to this site confidence that the Borough is actively managing the LBH/utility interface, I am posting below some information received from the Highways Asset Manager:"This week my street works team completed an analysis of the defects recorded during the year 2007/2008 arising from the inspections we carry out on a random sample of the works carried out by all the statutory undertakers. We have written to the six companies that are responsible for the vast majority of openings in the borough giving each a summary of their performance and warning them of the consequences if their performance fails to improve. Whilst none of them performed sufficiently badly to require us to issue a formal Improvement Notice under the New Roads and Street Works Act, we have said that we will be repeating the analysis every quarter and will expect to see continual improvement."I have also been advised that there is provision under S74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act to charge utilities for overrunning agreed completion dates and that we do implement this, and have charged Thames Water’s contractors in some instances. Under the new Traffic Management Act we will have power to issue fixed penalty notices for certain specific infringements of NRSWA regulations. The relevant officers here have regular meetings with Thames Water and their contactors to discuss these issues. “As a matter of interest who is Hounslow's Director of Streetworks?”. Responsibility for streetworks rests within Highways, which is part of Streetcare Services, which is under the overall control of Suresh Kamath, Director of Street Management & Public Protection, who is also my line manager.Philip -“The Dutch manage to separate cycle paths and have no problem keeping them clean. The current on road scheme does not stop motorist turning left and colliding with cyclist, I was eleven the first time it happened to me and the roads were a lot quieter thirty six years ago.”Maybe so, but if you are on a cycle lane on the carriageway and are heading straight you have right of way over a motorist turning, which is NOT the case if you are on a footway path.“Have you driven past Kew Gardens lately and seen the green car parking zone sorry cycle lane that runs down Kew Road?” Yes, in fact I have ridden this route. In LB Hounslow we try to avoid placing cycle lanes in locations where they will simply be parked upon all day - I realise that there are a couple of instances of this and we will attend to these as resources allow.“I can't help wondering when you last took your life in your hands by venturing onto the Boroughs roads on a bicycle but I bet it was not lately.” Last Sunday. I suggest you bet on something else."You claim there was consultation with the boroughs schools, could you perhaps steer me in the right direction so as I might see these reports/consultation documents."All LCN+ routes are subject to a CRISP study (Cycle Route Implementation & Stakeholder Plan). All stakeholders including local schools are invited to participate in these reviews. The CRISP for the route in question was undertaken last year. The CRISP document is quite large but I can arrange for you to view it - please email me direct.Thames Water issues – see above .I hope this thread can now be closed.
Chris Calvi-Freeman ● 6305d