I had heard stories about much leaning on railings and smoking, but not a lot of activity. Hopefully the speed of progress will speed up and not slow down. It seems that no early completion bonus was included in the contract, and if the project runs over, only WCC's additional costs are covered by way of a penalty, so probably only about 0.1% of the contact cost per week.
As nice as it has been to have a much quieter shopping experience in town, the drive around the diversionary route has added considerably to my working week.
On a more positive note, the Windfall scheme seems to be doing well. Too early to tell if it has attracted or retained any shoppers, but everyone seems to know about it and some have already completed their first card.
The shuttle bus, now seems to have a notice in it's window declaring what it is, but I haven't worked out why it doesn't run during the period the children are going to school or coming home (unless it's the obvious - the bus is used on a school pick up run).
Much has been said about the car park on the North end of the bridge. Whilst it seems rather short sighted that the shop owners and workers park there (as it does when they park in Teme Street), thus stopping any potential shoppers parking, but then, where should they park. I think everyone missed the fact that so many shop owners / workers now live out of town. Hopefully, WCC will make additional parking available. Two very good options have been presented to them.
I think this proves that the parking planned for the Tesco site is inadequate, and unless Tesco make off site provision for their staff, there will be trouble ahead. It is almost inconceivable that many of their staff will arrive by public transport as envisaged by their management planners, but then if the CEO didn't know that their customers were deserting them in droves over Christmas anything is possible.
I think this proves that the parking planned for the Tesco site is inadequate, and unless Tesco make off site provision for their staff, there will be trouble ahead. It is almost inconceivable that many of their staff will arrive by public transport as envisaged by their management planners, but then if the CEO didn't know that their customers were deserting them in droves over Christmas anything is possible.
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51 comments:
WR15
I missed the council meeting and had hoped to have seen your usual report
Thanks for the update! Do you know if their is any truth to the rumours that their has been a breakage in some pipework, that is going to extend the work, causing delays of upto 16 weeksto Teme Bridge?
Sorry, I missed the meeting. First time in several years. I was stuck 160 miles away, awaiting an infrequent move.
Well some of the pipes that have been exposed are in a very poor state of repair. Difficult to tell if they are all still in use. I guess if they contain phone lines then its more than a few hours work, but six weeks seems slow even for BT. Of course the visable pipes may not be the ones in question.
Perfect time to chuck some lengths of fibre optic cable down??
Now, we'll have no talk of joined up thinking. This is Britain.
The fibre optic is already in the upper pipes, actually!
WR15 - from the tone of your posting you appear to be the epitome of a "whinging Pom" who likess nothing better than to stand on the sidelines shaking his/her head, grumbling and finding fault.
Do you ever have anything positive to say?
It would be an ideal oppurtunity to install ducting - empty or otherwise so that in the future fibre or other cables could be simply "blown" i, ie the bridgbe wouldn;t need to be shut...if WCC and SCC had joined up thinking they would pay for it (minimal cost as the road is up anyway), and in the future could charge for the use of such ducts....
"As nice as it has been to have a much quieter shopping experience in town"
WR15, i can assure you the shop keepers/owners don't have the same opinion.
Anonymous 15 Jan 19:47
I now understand that a blue pipe was found to contain waste and should have been black. No delays involved.
and
an unidentified pipe was broken - the gas people drilled a hole in the pipe to ascertain what it was used for (the standard procedure) and found no gas, water or sewage. Redundant pipe probably to be removed
My neighbour was down in the car park first thing sunday 15th Jan. He said that there were only 4x parking spaces 'free' and that all the others were taken-up with cars with frost on them - suggesting they'd been there overnight.
Cars seem to be finding what parking they can on the Burford side as soon as the car park fills [early most mornings it would seem]. I would venture to say as such that the parking put on is clearly under catered for. It's also [understandably?] being used by both the town's workers as well as any shoppers [as and when they find a free spaces].
In the letters I distributed to businesses in Tenbury last Wednesday I readily admitted that I had underestimated the demand for parking in the Burford car park. I also reqested that those who could should park in Burford - for instance in the village hall car park - and free up some spaces for shoppers.
We hope that people will respect the 3 hour limit that will be placed on 20 spaces later this week, so that the vital trade of the town will continue at a sustainable level.
I have no problem with people parking there overnight, if they use their cars to commute to the north every day. People parking second cars there for their occasional convenience are not helping the town at this difficult time.
This is a quiet period for trade, there is no guarantee of good weather at any period of the year, the 2007 & 08 floods were in mid summer, the school buses seem to be coping well and the shuttle bus becomes the school bus morning and afternoon.
Tenbury can survive this disruption with the right positive spirit and perhaps a little more consideration for others.
It'll not help when the workers & commuters choose to use the carpark instead of tackling the untreated diversion routes!!!
It's a shame that WCC seemed to dismiss the idea of a supporting single lane Bailey Bridge for light vehicles out of hand too. If I recall, Mr Attwood seemed to say in his presentations that such a bridge would cost in the order of many millions of pounds.
Interestingly though there is a general quote for a single span Bailey Bridge on the Tenbury Futures blog for £200k from a company based in the region and that's for 5x months. The main elements that don't seem included in this quote are crane hire/labour to put the bridge in, traffic lights and rental or agreement to use the Cattle Market land for access.
Clearly the issue of cattle market land use has now been resolved though as WCC have negociated use for HGV turning at the suggested crossing site. That surely means the only other major outlay being crane hire and labour to put such a temporary bridge in[?]. If you add that, the cost of supporting traffic light management and appropriate minor works on each bank does it all really come to the many millions Mr Attwood stood up and told everyone I wonder?
For 10 weeks a temporary bridge would have been less than £200,000 including crane hire and labour building it.
Some work might also have needed on grading and surfacing approaches, partly depending on whether the bridge would have only been for light traffic.
I must say that I think the public were somewhat mislead over the penalty clause. The impression given at the public meeting, in response to a question from a member of the audience, was that the penalties would be ‘penal’ – a real incentive to finish on time. A penalty of c £1,500 per week (based on your assumptions) is not going to deter an overrun of (say) a couple of weeks!
Over run on London Underground is approx £8k....a minute!
Well, well, I am a former inhabitant of Tenbury. Don't you all love a good moan? Good grief, you want to live in the city with all the disruptions we contend with day after day.
Six weeks of a bridge closure! Nowt! We had a road closed here for ten weeks in the autumn. We just got on with it!
No wonder we are called whinging Poms! Get a grip!
I have l lived in cities too and with their sundry disruptions. The difference here is that the bridge is an absolutely strategic route into and out of town. Rather different, I think, from most urban interruptions.
As a 'former inhabitant of Tenbury' you should know just how vital the bridge is to Tenbury.
The workers must be well ahead, as they seemed to have plenty of time to chat up my daughter and her friends this afternoon....
Well said Ian.
We've lived in cities too and found that disruptions can be re-routed relatively easily in them as the road infrastructure is normally better with more options.
In Tenbury's case though as it's the only decent bridge for miles around [and it's closed completely] so all local traffic is forced into taking detours to some degree..
In Whitby, even the pier gets a temporary bridge!
I've just come back from Tenbury Badminton Club up at the high school.
It was obvious tonight that members and their children from Burford are being put off coming over to the high school now the bridge is closed. The alternatives are to drive over 10 miles in a round trip along dark single track roads, walk or go on bikes.
Instead of the usual 15-20 members on a tues eve (including children with parents) we have been down to 4 or 6 people the last two weeks. We've seen a similar drop in attends on a friday night too.
Since the bridge closed we've lost members, revenue for the club and the opportunity to let the younger ones learn the sport.
Update on the parking situation during the bridge closure.
Richard Attwood has distributed fliers pointing out the Burford Parish Hall car park as an alternative for long stay vistors to Tenbury. 20+ empty spaces there again yesterday afternoon, despite the fact it is only 3-5 minutes walk from the bridge. Plenty of parking in Stanbrook road as well - quite legal if you don't block entrances.
Re Badminton players from Burford, the diverson is less than 6 miles, not 10, the lanes at night are much safer as you can see headlights approaching and for fit young players cycling or walking are good alternatives.
I would be disappointed if the prevailing mood of the blog, and Tenbury people in general, was always whinging rather than fighting to overcome difficulties. Is it only the disaffected who express their views?
Very few turned up to the Pump Rooms yesterday to comment on ideas for a new Tenbury and Burford plan (advertised on the Tenbury blog) but I guess lots will complain when the results are published. Funny lot, we are.
Don't worry too much about penalities for overruns. This lot shaved months off the Holt Bridge closure period and then opened it another month earlier than planned. They are just as keen to do the same here in Tenbury.
I don't think Cllr Pollock understood the Badminton comment. People playing badminton go to the High School, and afterwards they go home again. So you have to go round the diversion twice. So a 6 mile diversion means driving 12 miles.
The big whingers are the people who make negative comments like "the wrong people are using the car park" or "people are parking for too long" or "people should park further away and walk a mile".
What is needed is a positive response from the council, something like "How wonderful that so many people are making the effort, how excellent that they are parking and walking rather than clogging up the back lanes, how commendable that people are using feet more and cars less."
Let's have an end to the council's negative attitude.
There is a huge empty car park at Burford House Gardens. Surely Park and Ride could be arranged. Doing this from the outset would have been cheaper than building that new car park by the Swan.
It's OUR money, OUR shops and OUR jobs - so the council should listen to and respect OUR opinions.
Well now i feel like a naughty school girl being told off by the teacher after Cllr Pollocks last post.
I like how every one says 'it's only 6 miles' well for some one who looks after 2 elderly family memebers one each side of the bridge last week alone i clocked up an extra 100ish miles what with having to pick up take to hospital the doctors to kiddy hospital the dentist ect thats just on 2 old dears let alone my usual family commitment. But of course some people are lucky enough to claim back there expenses arnt they Cllr Pollock.
And what diffrence would it make if we did all turn out in mass to the meeting, lets be honest you have a plan of what you want done already in your head the meeting is only there to tick boxes and show face you will only do what you want to do anyway.
Mr Pollock - I do not agree that you ahould advise people to park in Stanbrook Road. Stanbrook Road is usually congested with its own residents parking. Lets just hope that the increase of traffic in a residential area, with many young children & elderly living in doesn't result in an accident, just because the council failed to sort out the parking issues in the first place.
I don't see Clr Pollock responding to the point about the Bailey Bridge in his last comment.
Could it be that Richard Attwood's 'many millions of pounds' to install this was indeed a bit of creative thinking designed to try and shure-up the Council's (already pre-determined?) approach to bridge closure?
It would be a terrible thing if the local community's many requests for a supporting Bailey Bridge for light traffic use during bridge works were found to only cost a fraction of that claimed by the County Council.
No doubt Clr Pollock will be back to try and smoothe this over at some point again by assuring us that 'the County Council know best' though.
I am sure WCC has conducted a risk assessment on the impacts of the additional on street parking and general impacts caused by the diverted traffic and Cllr Pollock will not mind sharing this with you if requested- It is obvious from everything done to date that WCC do appear to know what they are doing and i am sure they have made all the provisions required in terms of ensuring this is a safe and successful project with everyone benefiting from the strengthening of the bridge in the long term - the concerns of the shop keepers and general population in the locale are well known as an due diligence was obviously conducted. The contract has been awarded in a manner which ensures the works will be done.....
Cllr Pollock's claim that the "lanes at night are much safer" is quite extraordinary - because it is completely wrong. Driving in the dark on unfamiliar roads is a major cause of car accidents, particularly in country areas with small winding roads. The risk of a fatal accident is three times higher at night than during the day (particularly between 9:00pm and 2:00am).
I agree with you there Ian. I spend a lot of my time 'in the lanes' as I go between jobs and am very familiar with them. I have been aghast and frustrated at some of the things I have seen in the past 10 days as drivers unfamiliar with the 'rules of the lanes' venture off the main roads. It seems as though some of them lose the ability to give way, reverse or pull over in a passing place. Only tonight I had to wait several minutes while a driver reversed literally 20 yards zig zag fashion to a passing place. I wished I had reversed the 300 yards myself to the passing place behind me, it would have been much quicker. Sorry, rant over!!!
And as if by divine timing....
Go steady tonight folks there's an HGV stuck across most of both lanes on the diversion route, passable only by car and if willing to go up and over the verge...
5-0 are in attendance.
The driving test does not include driving on narrow country lanes and some drivers don't know what to do.
Ken pollock should not be encouraging people to park in Stanbrook Road.
I have family in Stanbrook road who are struggling to get out of their driveways due to parked cars everywhere from the bridge closure "overflow" traffic. You should remember, it is a residential area, with a lot of young children playing.
It is very helpful though, that the village hall have kindly agreed to give permission to use their car park - that is only a short walk, and a good alternative.
is that the same with motor ways people still used them even they cant drive on them
Mr Attwood should show an example and move his car to the Burford Parish Hall, along with the BMW that is always parked on the workers car park,the dividing fence could then be moved closer to the portable offices this will create more parking spaces for shoppers to use
Also i see the workers vans are making a nice mess of the grass verge ,they to could park at the Parish Hall .........Come on chaps show us how its done .
"Us and them" - us who care, them who don't....why on earth would you suggest that the contractor or WCC management should be considerate to the good people of Tenbury (I feel a telling off from teacher coming)
So we have to park at the village hall, and walk a mile to work at Bowketts, regardless of the weather? But workers at the bridge, who would have a much shorter walk from the village hall, are provided with on-site parking! Who authorised this?
Why not have the site offices in the old infirmary on the cattle market? There are also buildings over there that could be used for storage. Then there would be more space for shoppers to park in Burford.
Is there a sign on the car park to say who can and can't park there? NO because its a car park and that means anyone can park there for what ever reason.
As its been sugested workers shouldnt park there but take the diversion and park on the other side of the bridge well why cant the shoppers do the same? Untill there is a sign saying who can and cant park there i will continue to use the park as i see fit weather thats a quick walk into town or a all night stay.
I dont mind having my bottom spanked for being naughty.
The only problem with having the site offices etc in the old CM are would be the difficulties the HGVs would have when turning in past Spar.....O wait a minute we are reassured it wil be fine.
I think the Cattle Market was considered for the site office, but as deliveries were to be made to the North End of the bridge it was decided inefficient to have the site office at a different location.
Some very good news today.
1. The bridge project is still on target and running to schedule with completion in Mid March.
2. The parking problems in the North Car Park have eased slightly now that some people requiring long term parking have heeded the request to use the Burford village hall car park.
Measured against what? - a politician's word...Spin i tell you...Spin...
"As nice as it has been to have a much quieter shopping experience in town, the drive around the diversionary route has added considerably to my working week."
Extraordinary comment, perhaps you should move to a quaint village where you can meddle to your hearts content.
It's a good point that 'support your local shops' makes... Why isn't there a bit more joined-up thinking here?
The Old Infirmary building is in good order, clad in steel bars around the lower rear windows and could make a useful site office for the duration of the works (and is about 1 min walk from the bridge). WCC have clearly made an agreement regards the cattle market's HGV turning so why not incorporate the Old Infirmary too?
With no need for the many steel cabins on the 'new' car park it would/could have allowed more much-needed parking spaces..
"As nice as it has been to have a much quieter shopping experience in town, the drive around the diversionary route has added considerably to my working week."
You would never cope in Primark in Birmingham for sure!
Once upon a time I worked in the West End of London, now I find Worcester too busy.
I was however referring to the lack of traffic noise that the temporary closure has afforded us.
Even when open Teme Street is not as busy as many places, but the closure has gifted us a quieter environment in which to shop.
I do appreciate that the knock on effect of this is a lower turnover in many shops, although I have to say that the Town was busy (with people) on some of the occasions that I have been shopping since the closure.
I agree with @WR15. It is much more pleasant with no traffic noise.
I sometimes work in the town, and the general background noise is awful (tractors, lorries, car horns etc.)
With the new "pedestrianized Tenbury" now you can hear the chatter of people talking!
"I agree with @WR15. It is much more pleasant with no traffic noise.
I sometimes work in the town, and the general background noise is awful (tractors, lorries, car horns etc.)
With the new "pedestrianized Tenbury" now you can hear the chatter of people talking!"
How romantic.
There goes the Tumble weed...
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