Council engineers work to stop flooding on busy Stafford road

[joshua]

Council engineers work to stop flooding on busy Stafford road


By Staffordshire Newsletter | Posted: February 28, 2017

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  The flooded crossing
  

COUNCIL engineers are looking at how to stop flooding at a pelican crossing on a busy Stafford road.

The flooding at the light-controlled crossing in Newport Road, outside Tesco, has got so bad people either have to risk getting soaked by cars as they drive past or darting across the busy road.

Newsletter reporter Kirsty James reported the flooding weeks ago and on Friday was drenched by an oncoming car while trying to use the crossing.

Today a spokesman for Staffordshire County Council said: "The drains outside Tesco were jet cleansed in the autumn, however there are capacity issues which are causing the problems after periods of heavy rain. Our engineers are looking to resolve this as soon as possible."

Readers have taken to the Newsletter Facebook page to share their frustration.

Mike Hillman said: "Yep - and I once saw an elderly chap with a walking stick knocked clean off his feet by someone doing exactly the same thing (luckily he was ok).

"That junction seriously needs sorting out - and yet they would rather spend money replacing drains in Stafford town centre (outside Sport Direct) which has never actually had a drainage problem."

Stuey Roscoe said: "It's actually an offence to splash someone in a car, so much so you will fail your driving test if you do it. I know it's probably unlikely that you got the registration but if you did, you are fully within your rights to report it to the police and they would get points on their license and a fine."

Alistair Leighton said: "I reported this last June with highways. It's still a pending job according to their website."

Claire Louise Entwistle said: "Oh this is a horrible place to cross when it's been raining the council really need to do something."

Jeanette Kimber said: "Yes, my little dog and I were caught in a bit of a tidal wave on Corporation Street yesterday. Some drivers don't even try and slow down. I think they gain some kind of sick pleasure out of soaking poor pedestrians. Also If you walk down Riverway on a rainy day you are likely to get soaked too."

 

[JTL85]

Wasn't this a problem that was 'fixed' a couple of years ago?

 

[proactive]

Tesco were supposed to be paying for this years ago but didn't do a thing. Now the taxpayer has to sort it,

Bastards.

 

[Stevo]

Drains in town centre being replaced as they are loose and a hazard to those on foot plus delivery vehicles. I've stumbled on them several times so am glad the council are seeing to them.

 

[Withnail]

Council engineers work?

 

[proactive]

Council engineers work?

How dare you make such an accusation!

 

[ATJ]

There's actually no such thing as Council Engineers in Staffordshire. They were all outsourced 3 years ago.

 

[darben]

I complained, chased, sent pictures copied in the police & crime commissioner and local politicians (only one of whom is trying to do anything & they are getting ignored too), this is the last reply I had on the issue where I realised that the Highways Team really did not care and nothing is going to be done until something truly awful occurs and their hand is forced, although I would like to be proved wrong.
They work for us !

The current status of the call is shown below
Enquiry Number: 4042927

Report Type: Weather related - Flooding

Current Status: Enquiry Closed - Work Raised

Enquiry Log Time: 03/04/2016 (13:26)
Update History on This Call
03/04/2016 (13:26)Enquiry Ongoing
17/06/2016 (10:31)Enquiry Closed - Work Raised
22/06/2016 (15:19)Enquiry Ongoing

Begin forwarded message:From: Amey Staffordshire
Date: 22 June 2016 at 16:37:13 BST
To: xxxxxxxx
Subject: Works Order Raised - Enquiry 4042927

Highways Issue Inspected - Enquiry 4042927

Dear Xxxxxx

This is an update to your enquiry dated 03/04/2016 in relation to Newport Road.

A highways inspector has now assessed the site and arranged for repairs to be carried out.
The reported issue is not considered to be a high risk to public safety and so the repairs will be grouped with similar works in the area in order to be as efficient and cost effective as possible. Currently over 50% of these repairs take place within 60 days. The remaining defects are repaired as soon as resources are available.

You will receive a further email when the works have been completed. You can also check on the progress of your report online at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/reportit

General Information about Repairs

Timescales for repairs are determined by the defect's location, size and ultimately, the risk the defect poses to public safety.

Currently 97% of the most urgent defects are repaired within seven days. However, the majority of reported defects are inspected and categorised as non-urgent and, to be as efficient and cost effective as possible, these repairs are grouped by location and work type. Currently over 50% of these lower risk repairs take place within 60 days.

The repair of defects reported to the County Council form part of a much bigger highway maintenance operation across our road network. This includes a range of planned activities to ensure limited budgets are used in the most effective way. This includes: resurfacing works along roads that have reached their end of life; surface dressing roads to protect them from further deterioration; drainage renewals; and regular maintenance activities such as gully emptying and grass cutting.

More information about these activities can be found online at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/highways

Kind regards
The Highways Team


Please 'Do not Reply' to this message, this is an automated message responses will not be read or actioned.

 

[darben]

I'm amused by the council saying they jet cleaned the drain in the Autumn, they still haven't completed the works order raised on my complaint. I haven't noticed it not flooding after any period of rainfall.

I would advise people to complain as much as possible about any road fault, I think pester power is key.

 

[EasMid]

I'm surprised they haven't taken the opportunity to dig up the Newport Road for investigations. After all it is probably the only through route in Stafford that hasn't been dug up at present. Highways are missing a trick here, they could really feck up traffic flow if they really tried.

 

[Gareth]

What do SCC consider dangerous. I have reported many issues around the town centre, market square and bridge st.

Rocking slabs, major subsidence and bridge st is more apart and sinking, which as a cycling lane must be dangerous.

I have no qualms with roadworks for improvements, but sort out the issues as well. SCC seem devoid of actioning anything in the town centre.

I sent a load of pictures to the highways commissioner who did nothing but pass it on to a community officer who says they are monitoring it, bog standard crap response.

I have 16 calls raised for the town centre, most of them major, not one has been fixed.

It seems with scc pedastrians do not matter.

 

[proactive]

What do SCC consider dangerous. I have reported many issues around the town centre, market square and bridge st.

Rocking slabs, major subsidence and bridge st is more apart and sinking, which as a cycling lane must be dangerous.

I have no qualms with roadworks for improvements, but sort out the issues as well. SCC seem devoid of actioning anything in the town centre.

I sent a load of pictures to the highways commissioner who did nothing but pass it on to a community officer who says they are monitoring it, bog standard crap response.

I have 16 calls raised for the town centre, most of them major, not one has been fixed.

It seems with scc pedastrians do not matter.

It all started to go even wronger (SIC) when SCC stopped accepting reports on the publicly accessible Fix My Street and insisted you could only report via their totally inaccessible to the public email/website.

 

[Gareth]

Ye but wasn't part od the problem that people were reporting things and going to scc when it was it was for borough and / or other district councils.

I know the father in law reported fly tipping left on a path near Leek and litter collection via fix my street about 4 years ago, I told him it was the wrong thing to do. I know some councils had issues with spending long amounts of time passing on issues not for roads but for other councils and their services, as fix.my street wasn't able to distinguish between so called unitary councils like Stoke and councils SCC that also have borough councils all so well ( think I have that right).

Remember a public article somewhere saying this would be sorted by fix my street so people couldn't report issues not related to highways aspects etc. Don't know if it did.

Unfortunately I don't think SCC were any better/ responsive prior to the fix my street link or not