Category: Redditch South

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Redditch South Reporting Back Travel and Transport Worcestershire County Council

Vehicle Activated Speed sign installed on Birchfield Road

Craig Warhurst and I as County Councillors for Redditch South were pleased to fund a new VAS sign on Birchfield Road, following a request from local Redditch Borough Councillor Joanne Beecham, supported by Councillor Juliet Barker-Smith and recently retired Councillor Tom Baker-Price as the 3 Headless Cross and Oakenshaw councillors at the time. The local Safer Neighbourhood policing team also supported the request.

This follows the installation of the new play park off Birchfield Road. Craig and I are also looking at further measures at this location and hope to report back soon.

The sign will measure the speed of oncoming vehicles and flash a reminder notice if they are exceeding the speed limit, which is 30mph for this section of the road.

The cost to the taxpayer for installing these signs is around £3,000 per fitting. Craig and I as local County Councillors have access to a small budget each year to support a range of localised highways interventions, including these VAS signs. They are largely effective in reducing average speeds for a given area, but over time need to be moved around as people get used to seeing them and no longer pay attention to them.

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Redditch South

Casework update on drainage repair works at bottom of Mickleton Close in Oakenshaw

I popped by Mickleton Close in Oakenshaw today where a long-running issue with a drain is now drawing to a close. Works are underway to replace a connection from the gully to the fowl system, which was defective. The new connection will be easier to maintain and clear if it becomes blocked. It is hoped the works will be completed by Monday 22 May 2023.

Many thanks to Mr Y, local resident, who reported an issue with the drain years ago. The gully was cleared, but that did not fix the problem. It has taken a long time to get to this point, requiring my intervention as County Councillor – but that’s what we are elected to do. When issues get stuck – it’s our job to unblock them (pardon the pun!).

Even though it has taken a long time, I am glad we are nearly there now, and look forward to visiting again soon to check on the reinstatement works.

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Redditch South

Footway repairs in Patch Lane and Paddock Lane in Oakenshaw Redditch

Footways are an essential part of our infrastructure that enable people to walk safely from one place to another. However, over time, footways can become damaged and develop surface defects such as cracks, potholes, and uneven surfaces. These defects can make footways unsafe and potentially hazardous for pedestrians, especially those who are elderly or disabled.

To address these issues, local authorities often undertake footway repairs to fix surface defects and ensure the safety of pedestrians. According to the Department for Transport guidance on footway maintenance, local authorities should regularly inspect footways and prioritise repairs based on the severity of the defects and the level of footway usage. These repairs can range from simple patching to more extensive resurfacing work, depending on the severity and extent of the damage.

However, resurfacing footways in full can be a costly and time-consuming process. It requires significant resources, including labour, materials, and equipment, and can cause disruption to traffic and pedestrians in the area. Therefore, local authorities need to carefully consider the cost and benefits of resurfacing footways in full, especially when there are many footways to repair.

In the case of Patch Lane and Paddock Lane, the local authority has undertaken some repairs to fix the steps and other surface defects. While these repairs may not look great, they have achieved the primary goal of making the footways safe for people to use. Moreover, these repairs were done at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.

However, the local authority acknowledges that a longer-term approach is needed for these streets. Officers are looking at what they can do to resurface these streets in the future, but this will be a significant challenge given the large number of footways in the area. Therefore, careful consideration is required to ensure that the resources are used efficiently and effectively to provide a safe and usable footway network for everyone, in line with the Department for Transport guidance on footway maintenance.

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Redditch South Travel and Transport

Resurfacing works on Tennyson Road, Headless Cross

close up photography of red and white road signage
Photo by Mabel Amber on Pexels.com

Dear Residents

I wanted to let you know that Tennyson Road in Headless Cross is scheduled for resurfacing works from 24/07/2023 until 31/07/2023. This is scheduled during the school holidays to minimise disruption.

There will be a full road closure in place, although access to and from properties will be possible. In the weeks before the works are carried out signs will be placed out on the side of the road. There will also be a letter drop to all residents in the road.

The date of the works is subject to change due to weather and conditions. This is normal for all highways works, which requires reasonably dry weather.

This is a resurfacing job, and will require the surface to be planed off as it’s an old concrete road, bitumen layer put down and tarmac on top. The good news is I have asked and confirmed that the double yellow lines at the top of the road with the junction with Feckenham Road will be reinstated as part of these works.

If you have any questions or problems please let me know.

Best wishes,

Mike
mrouse@worcestershire.gov.uk

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Redditch South Travel and Transport

Foregate Street Astwood Bank Drainage Repair Works

There will be a road closure in place from Monday 17th April 2023 for 5 days to facilitate works to repair drainage systems in FOREGATE STREET in Astwood Bank.

Whilst contractors will strive to keep disruption to a minimum, and will always facilitate access to properties, some inconvenience is expected.

All highways works are very dependent on the weather, which may cause delays.

Any problems let me know by emailing mrouse@worcestershire.gov.uk and/or cwarhurst@worcestershire.gov.uk

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Redditch South

Stumped!

Tom Baker-Price (Conservative, Headless Cross & Oakenshaw ward) were a bit ‘stumped’ when we encountered a traffic cone placed atop of a tree stump in Clent Avenue, Headless Cross, whilst out campaigning for Tom for the upcoming local Borough Council elections on Thursday 4th May. Tom is up for election this year, so we were keen to chat with residents about their issues and concerns.

It appears that a local resident has ‘branched’ out into health and safety, and placed the cone there to help prevent vehicles striking the tree stump when parking up on the edge of the pavement.

Clearly, we can’t just ‘leaf’ it there, so I have ‘logged’ the issue with the County Council who should come out and remove the stump. Sadly, however, they won’t be able to stop me using tree puns – it’s rooted in me😆

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Redditch South Travel and Transport Worcestershire County Council

B4090 Droitwich Road (Feckenham) Closure for patching works from 20th April – 3rd May 2023

Closure Plan

There will be a closure of the Droitwich Road (B4090) near Feckenahm from 20th April until 3rd May 2023 so that Worcestershire County Council can carry out patching works to the highway, which will fill potholes and repair any particularly worn sections of the highway.

Useful documents

Works are subject to change due to weather – all highways works are weather dependent.

The formal diversion route is based on like-for-like. The closure affects a B classification of road, so the diversion route must also stick to B classifications or above. If you know of a more suitable route for you then you are welcome to use that instead.

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Redditch South Travel and Transport Worcestershire County Council

Western Hill Close Resurfacing

Western Hill Close
Copyright Google Maps

County Councillors Craig Warhurst and Mike Rouse are delighted to announce that WESTERN HILL CLOSE in Astwood Bank is now scheduled for resurfacing works.

The works are due to commence on 17th April until 21st April 2023, and will require closure of the carriageway and for any vehicles to be moved. Signs and notices will be posted in the coming weeks to prepare for these works.

BEWARE: All highways work is weather dependent, along with other factors including supply and staffing. The exact dates for the resurfacing job is subject to change – and if we’ve learned anything from the pandemic it’s that nothing goes as smoothly as expected these days.

ALSO: Be aware that preparation works may start in early April – this will be patching works, mostly likely on the footway next to the road, but you should not be alarmed that this is the full extent of the works.

Craig and Mike have worked closely with Redditch Borough Councillor Brandon Clayton to bring forward these works. It has taken us some time to get the job on the work schedule, which is priority-scored. We have sought assurances that the work will definitely be done this spring.

Subscribe to this blog to get notifications about new posts sent straight to your inbox. Any problems with the works, or any questions, please email mrouse@worcestershire.gov.uk and cwarhurst@worcestershire.gov.uk so we can help.

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Redditch South

Fly Tipping Patch Lane

As per my Twitter, I was disappointed to see a dump of goods on Patch Lane this morning.

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Redditch Borough Council Redditch South

Campaigning Saturday 4 March 2023

With local elections coming up on Thursday 4 May 2023 it’s time to hit the campaign trail. I was out supporting Tom Baker-Price this morning. Then, this afternoon I went to Bromsgrove to help out over there.

In Redditch, Tom Baker-Price is standing in the Headless Cross and Oakenshaw ward for Redditch Borough Council (a District level council). His ward falls under my County Council Division of Redditch South (the principle tier of local government in our area, covering highways and other county-wide strategic matters).

Tom’s local council brief covers trees, anti-social behaviour, housing, planning, and the sense of place for our neighbourhoods – amongst many others things including the all-important bins, parks and open spaces.

Tom’s record over the last 4 years has been exemplary. He attends the meetings, he contributes and he makes representations on behalf of his residents. He has a good working relationship with me as one of his County Councillors, passing on casework relating to highways matters for instance.

You couldn’t ask for a better local ward councillor for Headless Cross and Oakenshaw. So please do give Tom your support – either in person on Thursday 4th May or sooner if you vote by post.