Revamp to Gaolgate Street

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2016/09/13/40000-revamp-on-way-for-stafford-town-centre/

£40,000 revamp on way for Stafford town centre
A £40,000 revamp is set to take place on Stafford high street early next year.

M&S was based there but it has now relocated to the £100 million Riverside complex.

The council has warned there will be disruption during the works and a temporary road closure put in place, although the street is already pedestrianised for most of the day.

The authority has said: “The estimated start date is January 9, 2017.

“The works are expected to take approximately six weeks from the start date.

“There will be a temporary road closure. As far as practically possible via a diversion route.

“We take care to make sure that work is completed with the minimum of disturbance of the local community but as with any major works, some disruption will occur.”

Stafford borough councillor Christine Baron, who represents the Forebridge ward, said she had been calling for improvements for around 12 months and welcomed confirmation of the work.


She said: “When I walk down the street I walk with my head down because I am terrified of going over.

“So many people have come to me about this complaining.

“I have been complaining myself for about a year and I felt like I was coming up against a brick wall.

“I was told they do have inspectors go out in the area and I thought ‘well they must be going out in the wrong place’.”

Councillor Baron added that it was good the council would be carrying out the works in January and hoped it would consider extending the scheme into Market Square where stall holders are based.

She said: “I’m glad it is going to be at a time when it is quieter.

“It is a shame it won’t be done before Christmas before it gets busy though.

“I hope they are going to do Market Square as well because it is absolutely appalling there.”

Earlier this year Stafford Borough Council announced a raft of measures to help revitalise the north end of the town to counter any potential loss of trade from the opening of Riverside, as well as the new 1,000-space car park that is driving visitors in from the southern end.
One scheme includes giving new businesses on certain streets business rate relief to encourage independent traders to come in.




£40k doesn't get you much nowadays so they're going to have to work bloody slowly to make it last 6 weeks!
 

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
£40k won't buy you many of the concrete balls around the Council House. Just over £1k a day, - as you say- it will be interesting just what you can get for that -
 

cj1

Well-Known Forumite
From what I gather it is just resetting sunken blocks and repairs to drainage. so will probably require few materials, which should help keep costs down.
 

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
Hardly a Re-vamp then, more of a "putting right shoddy workmanship". There really is no excuse for sunken blocks if the job is done correctly in the first place, especially as Councils tend to pay top whack. The correct bed preparation for an area that is going to get heavy use is paramount - you can't just throw down six inches of sand and a quarter inch of cement.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Huge lorries access the high street so over time things start to deteriorate, nothing lasts for ever and eventually whether its a road or a pavement it eventually needs replacing.

that is where we are at with high street, it is now aged and overdue for proper works and not just a temp patch and fix. Same with market square, paving has run its course and needs a fresh start, digging up and realignment.

its got nothing to do shobby initial work. To be honest the red type of brick paving , with a sand base is just a poor choice when heavy goods vehicles access the route and when utilities companies dig the place up (Western power last year) and do a toss job putting back meaning councils and the tax payer have to correct.

of course the council are not entirely blameless as some of their patch work is also utter toss i.e Market square. But your comments about shoddy initial work 25/ 30 years ago is laughable
 

PeterD

ST16 Represent.
Well I see it as a godsend, fix those blocks and I will have no option to visit the empty M and S, the empty New Look, the empty Greenwoods, the plethora of charity shops and the finest gambling emporium this side of the Guildhall. (full disclosure, I have to walk that way to the station)
 

alphagamma

Well-Known Forumite
General Rumour sez the council saved a few quid by ordering a surface that can't take the weight of an obese butterfly. That's why they don't have much parked in the middle of the market sq.
 
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PeterD

ST16 Represent.
The subterranean bogs, my wife mentioned these, I have an inkling they were on market square, specifically where were they, and their demise, were they just filled in with concrete. In an effort to remain on topic, them blocks hey *tut*
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The subterranean bogs, my wife mentioned these, I have an inkling they were on market square, specifically where were they, and their demise, were they just filled in with concrete. In an effort to remain on topic, them blocks hey *tut*
The railings around the steps are just visible at the bottom(!) left, here.

stafford-market-square-c1960_s411087.jpg


..just south of the continuation of Market Street into the Square, before it would intersect the 'high street'..
 

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
. To be honest the red type of brick paving , with a sand base is just a poor choice when heavy goods vehicles access the route and when utilities companies dig the place up (Western power last year) and do a toss job putting back meaning councils and the tax payer have to correct.

of course the council are not entirely blameless as some of their patch work is also utter toss i.e Market square. But your comments about shoddy initial work 25/ 30 years ago is laughable

You have a strange sense of humour, but try and get down from your mantle of apologist for the Council. Using a sand base for a road with vehicles on IS shabby work by the planners or highways department. Not controlling the work done by Utilities Companies IS Shoddy work and, by your own admission, if the work you describe as "utter toss" does not come under the heading of "Shoddy Work" I would love to see what does.

When the road was laid out ( I doubt it was 30 years ago, but I'll take your word for it) I doubt very much someone said "It's ok, it only needs to last a few years then we'll do it all again".
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Well you screwed up your own point.

Goalgate is a pedestrian area with vehicular access, not the other way around. Hence why is is flat with no prominent road feature.

it has been the normal practice in the last 10-30 years to use sand based elements for such developments in town centres which has now become outdated.

It is not the laying of this paving that is / was utter toss as original referenced by you but its design and longevity. That said isn't it the case that the lifetime of roads at footpaths is about 25 years?? If so the paving has lasted ok because it must have been down for close to that. As most on here know nothing created in the 60s to 90s period is built to last.

the second part of my toss comment was with reference to the crap work SCC or highways have done to repair the market square.

But you again need correcting on another point. As has been discussed on this forum previously is the lack of say councils have in work done by utilities, legislation gives them the upper hand while councils main remit is assist in disruption but normally having to foot the bill and correct poor road/ footpath tarmacing. I learnt that on here :)
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
I will also correct you contradiction on your point about being an apologist for a council. In fact I absolve them from blame and then criticise/ blame them in the same thread.

that is because of a number of things. Maybe I know more about the subject and i have more open mind as to what is right, what is wrong and who may or may not by at fault.

I don't believe conspiracy theories or pointing the finger because I don't like someone or something. It's as simple as that.
 
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