Calne Area Board Highway Information Area board councillors: Christine Crisp, Alan Hill, Howard Marshall, Tony Trotman, Glenis Ansell Malmesbury Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Chippenham Calne Marlborough Corsham Bradford on Avon Melksham Pewsey Devizes Trowbridge Westbury Tidworth Warminster Amesbury Salisbury South West Wiltshire Southern Wiltshire
Calne Area Board Introduction This document provides an introduction to the highways and streetscene service in your area. It summarises highway information for your Community Area and lists the highway and related work carried out by Wiltshire Council during 2012/13. It also sets out the work proposed for 2013/14 and includes other information which should be of interest. The information is based on the best currently available, but it should be noted that programmes may need to be modified to reflect changing circumstances and conditions on the highway network. The Local Highway and Streetscene Service has recently been reorganised to provide a clear reporting structure. A Community Coordinator, is responsible for the management of the Local Highway and Streetscene assets and the community priorities within one community board area. The Community Coordinator is the town and parish council contact for that community board area. An Engineer provides the technical support and strategic service provision across two community board areas. Feedback to Community Area Boards is undertaken by the Engineer at the Community Area Board Transport Groups. Enquires from members of the public go direct to the Depot Admin Support or Clarence Support. The Community Coordinator for your area is Jonathan Moss who is based at Bath Road Depot, Chippenham He can be contacted on 01249 706951 Or by E-mail at Jonathan.Moss@wiltshire.gov.uk Wiltshire Council is assisted in maintaining the highway network by consultants Atkins, who provide specialist technical advice and design services and Balfour Beatty Living Places, who are the contractors carrying out most of the work for the Council on the highway network. Traffic signals are maintained for the Council by Telent Technology Services Limited. Further information on the Council s activities is available at the website www.wiltshire.gov.uk. If you require specific information regarding any aspect of Wiltshire s highway network please do not hesitate to contact the customer care unit in the first instance. 1
Useful contacts for your area Customer Care Unit 0300 456 0100 e-mail clarence@wiltshire.gov.uk Clarence 0800 23 23 23 or 01225 777234 from landlines Head of Local Highways and Streetscene Bill Parks 01225 713000 Area Highway Engineer Martin Cook Out of hours number for highway related defects 01722 413834 Website www.wiltshire.gov.uk 2
Parishes in community area Bremhill Heddington Calne Without Cherhill Compton Bassett Calne Hilmarton Network Statistics Road type Urban (km) Rural (km) Principal roads Class 1 (A) 8.99 21.61 Sub total 8.99 21.61 Non principal roads Class 2 (B) 0.0 0.0 Class 3 (C) 15.98 61.19 Class 4 (UC) 50.20 29.08 Sub total 66.18 90.27 Total 75.17 111.88 3
The Council categorises its roads to reflect their importance. This enables an effective assignment of highway inspection frequencies and maintenance standards, with Group 1 containing the most important routes. The map at Appendix A shows the road categories and Appendix B shows them by road class. The lengths of each road type for your community area are: Road group Urban roads (km) Rural roads (km) Group 1 11.38 25.91 Group 2 15.57 47.37 Group 3 48.22 38.60 Highway Inventory Total 75.17 111.88 Wiltshire Council keeps an inventory of its highway assets in order to assist planning its highway maintenance. Important statistics relating to your board area are: 1. Carriageway 974,070 square metres (180 kms/110 miles) 2. Footways (adjacent to road) 238,908 square metres (104 kms/64 miles) 3. Footways (linked) 21,232 square metres (10 kms/6 miles) 4. White road centre lines 55 kilometres (34 miles) 5. Road kerbs 138 kilometres (85 miles) 6. Grass verge (maintained) 435,203 square metres (272 kms/167 miles) 7. Drainage grips 1,045 number 8. Drainage pipe grips 86 number 9. Drainage gullies 3,353 number 10. Road signs 1,310 number 11. Street lights 1,567 number 4
Work carried out in 2012/13 Extensive programmes of maintenance work and schemes on the highway network were carried out during 2012/13. The main projects carried out within your community area were: Road Maintenance Town Location Works 1. Calne New Road Carriageway repairs 2. Calne London Road Carriageway repairs 3. Calne A3102 Silver Street Carriageway repairs 4. Hilmarton A3102 Snow Hill Carriageway repairs 5. Calstone Wellington Theobalds Green Minor improvement scheme 6. Calne C394 Oxford Road Resurfacing scheme 7. Heddington A3102 - Back Lane to Broads Green Retexturing 8. Calne Calstone Wellington Surface dressing 9. Calne Sprays Farm, Calstone Wellington Surface dressing Footway Schemes Town Location Treatment type 1. Calne High Street & Curzon Street Footway slab replacement 2. Calne The Fairway Footway surfacing Highway Drainage Major Maintenance Town Location Works completed 1. Calne Oxford Road Drainage investigation 2. Derry Hill A342 Old Derry Hill Drainage investigation 3. Calne Oxford Road Drainage repairs Transportation Schemes Town Location Scheme 1. Calne Sandy Lane/Back Lane Junction improvements 2. Calne Quemerford New footway 3. Goatacre A3102 Junction with Goatacre Lane Pedestrian refuge and footway extension Signing and Lining Improvements Parish/Town Location Scheme 1. Calne Without A342 Sandy Lane Signing review 2. Calne Wessington Park Lining review 3. Calne The Rise Lining review 4. Calne Without Caltern Wellington Lining review 5. Calne Without Theobalds Green Lining review 6. Calne Without Sprays Farm Lining review 7. Hilmarton A3102 Snow Hill Lining review 8. Calne Oxford Road Lining review 9. Hilmarton A3102 Goatacre Warning lines 10. Calne Without A4 Studley crossroads Signing and lining review 5
Tree Maintenance Parish/area Location Works completed 1. Calne Oxford Road Prior to surface dressing Rights of Way Parish/area Path no/location Works completed 1. Compton Bassett Bridleway 1 Clearance 2. Calne Bridleway 63 Abbards Lane Installed bollards to prevent illegal motorised use 3. Calne Without Footpath 67 Cleared 4. Derry Hill Footpath 46 Cleared route 5. Cherhill Byway 6 Jugglers Lane Remedial works repair the lane following weather damage 6
What the Council does for highways and streetscene There are extensive programmes of routine and planned maintenance proposed for 2013/14 to improve road safety and the condition of the highway network. The day to day maintenance of the highway is carried out by the local Community Teams based at depots across the county, supported by specialist teams and service suppliers. The service covers a wide variety of activities, which keep the county s roads and assets in a safe and serviceable condition. The Council operates a customer care unit and Clarence (Customer Lighting And Roads Enquiry Centre) service for reporting road, lighting defects and other hazards including flooding and drainage issues. This enables defects to reported by telephone (0800 23 23 23 or 01225 777234 from landlines) or through the Council s website. Highway Inspections The Council regularly inspects all of the county s roads and footways in accordance with its highway inspection manual. Additional inspections are made in response to reports of defects from the public, Councillors, local councils and road users. All road bridges are inspected on a two yearly cycle, or more frequently where bridges have been assessed as sub-standard, in order to ensure that maintenance requirements are identified at an early stage and that no unexpected deterioration has taken place. Regular inspections of street lighting are made at night to ensure they are working properly. Community Teams The Parish Stewards have operated successfully for a number of years, and the scheme is being extended with the introduction of the Community Teams. These will continue regular visits throughout the year. The Parish Stewards are being teamed with streetscene operatives to provide a proactive team for addressing the normal parish steward highway issues together with verge maintenance issues such as litter picking and grass cutting. The Community Co-ordinator will be your first point of contact with the team and they can arrange visits or for specific work to be carried out. Gully Emptying There is a programme of gully and drainage maintenance, which includes inspection, emptying and clearing of connections by machines equipped with high pressure jetting equipment and satellite tracking. The key objectives of this service are to keep the high speed roads as free of standing water as possible in order to reduce the likelihood of vehicles aquaplaning, and to reduce the formation of potholes. Gullies on main rural roads are usually visited once per year and gullies in less busy urban roads are visited once every two to three years. Weekends are worked as required to attend traffic sensitive sites. Grass Cutting There are 10,158,978 square metres of rural verges across the county, and these are cut in May/June and again in October/November. The minor roads are cut first, followed by the A and B routes. This ensures that visibility areas at junctions are cut twice during each operation. In addition local grass cutting is undertaken throughout the season to provide additional trimming in visibility areas. Urban verges generally receive seven to twelve cuts a year, mainly between April and November, according to the needs of the season. Routine Highway Maintenance During the year specialist teams carry out carriageway repairs to address potholes and safety defects identified from inspections and reports. There are skilled masonry gangs to repair footways, culverts, drains, iron-covers, parapets, paving stones and walls. Multi-purpose four wheel drive machines called Unimogs are used for clearing drainage grips, sign cleaning, verge and hedge mowing, kerb and footway scrubbing and winter gritting. There are programmes of road signing and lining replacement and refurbishment, and tree and landscaping maintenance. The service also carries out programmes of weed control, leaf clearance and other seasonal operations. 7
Winter and Emergency Response The Council responds to incidents on the highway, and salts key routes when there is a risk of ice or snow. Wiltshire has a large road network of some 4,440km, and it would be unrealistic and uneconomic to attempt to treat all roads with salt. The network routinely given precautionary salting treatment comprises all class A and B roads, and the more important lower class roads. This is a total length of approximately 1,160 km which amounts to 25% of the maintained highway. This should ensure the majority of road users are within a reasonable distance of a salted road. When temperatures are predicted to remain below freezing after the morning rush, then a larger network may be salted. In recent years Wiltshire has experienced particularly severe winter conditions. Wiltshire holds a strategic stockpile of salt which has placed the county in a far better position to cope with winter conditions than many of our neighbours. The Council has a well maintained fleet of gritters available to treat the network, and when necessary have arrangements in place to make use of local farmers and contractors to operate snow ploughs. The Council has provided 1,600 salt bins at key locations across Wiltshire which are filled at the beginning of the season and refilled as necessary. Using over 600 tonnes of salt to fill them all up again can take considerable time. In severe weather the council endeavours to refill the salt bins as soon as possible, but keeping the main roads open and responding to emergencies has to take priority. The Council operates a scheme to provide 1 tonne bags of salt to parish and town councils so that they can refill grit bins in their areas or treat local routes that are important to them. During snow conditions the Council deploy our Street Scene operatives who are unable to carry out their usual duties because of the snow or icy conditions to help clear our network of snow including where possible some of the 2,440km of footway. The Council s operatives are ready to be deployed across the county in response to any severe weather. The priority is safety, concentrating on accesses in and out of villages, and protecting people. The Council s highways emergency response teams operate around the clock to respond to accidents and incidents on the county s extensive highway network, often in conjunction with the police and emergency services. Street Lighting and Traffic Signals The Council uses specialist contractors to maintain the street lighting, traffic signals and road signs on the county s highway network to ensure they are functioning properly and are in safe condition. The Council is aware of the environmental impact of street lighting in terms of its carbon footprint and pollution of the night sky. Rising energy costs are also a serious concern, and projects to switch off some of the lighting for part of the night have already been successfully introduced with the co-operation of the Area Boards and local communities. A project to introduce better management of the street lighting and reduce unnecessary lighting will be introduced across the county this year. Any defects and faults with street lighting or traffic signals can be reported through Clarence (0800 23 23 23 or 01225 777234 from landlines) or on the council s website. Drainage and Flooding As well as the routine emptying of gullies and maintenance of highway drainage, the council has a major programme of highway and land drainage investigation and repairs. A specialist team with CCTV survey equipment records the location and condition of the highway drainage systems, and co-ordinates repair work or replacement as necessary. An extensive programme of drainage improvements includes the repair of damaged systems and improvements to sub-standard drainage to reduce the risk of flooding, particularly where there are safety issues. The Council works closely with the Environment Agency and other organisations involved in drainage matters. Two operational flood working groups in Wiltshire co-ordinate the work of the organisations involved in land drainage. Many drainage and flooding problems can be resolved locally with the help of 8
local councils and landowners, but the more serious problems may need to be referred to the operational flood working groups for consideration. The Council is keen to work with town and parish councils to address problem sites. Local knowledge and contacts are appreciated, and an approach to a landowner from the community can often be more effective and quicker than the use of legal processes. In the first instance drainage and flooding issues can be reported through Clarence (0800 23 23 23 or 01225 777234 from landlines). Road Resurfacing There is a backlog of maintenance required to the highway network nationally. In Wiltshire sustained investment in recent years has seen a substantial improvement in the condition of our roads, however the funding is limited, and it is necessary to prioritise repairs and surfacing work. Roads for surfacing and reconstruction are reviewed annually because the rate at which carriageways deteriorate depends on a number of factors, including traffic volumes, ground conditions, weather and drainage. Technical surveys of the condition of the highway network are carried out annually and this information helps to prioritise work. Road safety is a priority. As well as maintaining the structural condition of the network it is important to ensure there is adequate skid resistance. In recent years extensive work has been carried out on many rural A and B roads to bring them up to standard, and to improve skid resistance on rural high speed main roads, especially at locations with poor safety records. A large programme of work has been prepared for 2013/14 to address the structural and safety issues on all types of road on the highway network. Bridges and Structures The bridge strengthening and replacement programme is gradually reducing the number of sub-standard bridges in Wiltshire, and it has generally been possible to avoid weight restrictions. Where major structural work is necessary, restrictions on the flow of traffic are inevitable and extended road closures may be required. Disruption is kept to a minimum as far as is reasonably practicable in these cases. Rights of Way Improvements The rights of way wardens investigate reports of obstruction of rights of way, and arrange necessary maintenance, including hedge cutting and other seasonal vegetation clearance. They also work with volunteer groups and others to replace stiles with kissing gates, improve rights of way and carry out repairs. Community Area Transport Groups The area boards have set up Community Area Transport Groups (CATGs) to identify priorities for transport investments. The schemes can include highway improvements, pedestrian crossings, footways, traffic calming, traffic management and cycle facilities. A discretionary highways budget has been allocated to the board by the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport. The funding allocation is for capital funding and can only be used to provide new and improved highway infrastructure. It is suitable for schemes that improve safety, increase accessibility and sustainability by promoting walking, cycling and public transport and improve traffic management. It cannot be used to fund revenue functions such as maintenance schemes or the provision of passenger transport services. Schemes considered by the CATGs should have first been raised through the community issues system and endorsed by the relevant town or parish council. There is further information on the CATGs on the Council s website: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/parkingtransportandstreets/communityareatransportgroup.htm 9
Streetworks Coordination All of these activities require contractors and engineers to have access to work on the roads and footways in a way which affords safe passage to road users, as well as the crews doing the work. In addition to the drainage, surfacing, cleansing and other repair work that Wiltshire Council does there are many other bodies that need to install and maintain our all important underground services. These include telecommunications, internet services, water, electricity and gas supplies as well as sewers for almost all of our homes and businesses. Each of these services is extremely important to the health, wealth and social wellbeing of Wiltshire. Indeed, in the next few years Wiltshire Council will be installing high speed internet to many communities, where this is not present. All of these activities combine to an annual figure greater than 25,000 applications to work in or on our roads and footways: on almost any one day, to some 100 sites will be underway across Wiltshire s network of roads and footways. The Council s Streetworks team work with all of these bodies to ensure that this crucial work is carried out with the safety of the road user a priority as well as coordinating work in a way, which seeks to minimise the inconvenience to travellers and residents alike. 10
Schemes Proposed for 2013/14 The list of schemes below is based on the best information currently available, and will be subject to approval by the Council s Cabinet Member shortly. Implementation of the schemes may depend on the successful completion of any legal or other procedures, and may be subject to changes as a result of weather or other factors. Road Maintenance Town Location Works 1. Bremhill Turfhouse Lane Carriageway repairs 2. Calne A3102 Tossels Farm, Mile Elm Skid resistance improvements 3. Calne Whetham Cottage Skid resistance improvements 4. Calne 5. Calstone Wellington Transportation Schemes A3102 Greenacres Way roundabout to Cowage Farm Theobald s Green 11 Skid resistance improvements Surface dressing Town Location Scheme 1. Calne Various CATG schemes to be determined 2. Calne Fynamore Primary School Taking action on School Journey scheme 3. Various Various Work which may cover any community area: local safety schemes, speed limits, gateway surfacing, road marking safety programme, sign de-cluttering Bridge Maintenance Programme Parish/town Bridge name/location Proposed works 1. Calne Black Dog Bridge (over the A4 between Calne and Chippenham Timber treatment 2. Various Various Incursions work with Network Rail Rights of Way Parish/area Path no/location Proposed works 1. Heddington Various Parish survey and general maintenance works 2. Calne Various Parish survey and general maintenance works 3. Calne Without Various Parish survey and general maintenance works 4. Compton Bassett Various Parish survey and general maintenance works There is also a mowing programme which is ongoing throughout the year to try and keep those paths which are well used clear of nettles and undergrowth. Some of these paths have been mowed in the winter months to try and increase the width by cutting out the brambles and blackthorn. Routine maintenance work continues throughout the area to repair broken stiles, repair gates, clear undergrowth and maintain signs and signposts, etc, to keep paths safe for use by the public. This is in addition to the Parish Programme of maintenance and is in answer to requests and complaints from parish councils and members of the public. Signage of byways within the Salisbury Plain Training Area are ongoing. Volunteer projects have been ongoing with many parishes across the county and with user groups in
particular the Ramblers and Treadlightly. Rights of Way and Countryside Service are working with the Southern Area Board on a project to improve access in their 15 parishes and a scheme with Cranborne Chase AONB to encourage rural tourism has been instigated and will continue in the new financial year. Winter and Flooding Damage to Roads The severe winter weather in recent years and flooding incidents last year have had a serious effect on the highway network, and the deterioration in carriageway conditions has been a problem nationally. This Council and the Government have continued to invest in highway maintenance, and an extensive programme of repairs is proposed across the county. It is anticipated that additional sites to those listed above will receive localised repairs and treatment to address specific defects during the year. The Council has carried out large road resurfacing programmes in recent years, which have seen an overall improvement condition of the highway network despite the winter damage. The roads resurfaced in recent years in your community area are shown in Appendix D, and for comparison purposes the conditions of roads in each of the community areas are included in Appendix E. 12
Analysis of Highway Defects 2012/2013 The graphs below give details of highway defects recorded over the past year illustrating the activities which generate the most defects across the county and for your community area. Activities CG Covers and Frames, CW Carriageway, DI Ditches, FB Fences & Barriers, FW Footways, HF Flooding & Blockages, HO Obstructions/Cleansing/Spills, HT Hedges, KB Kerbs, RM Road Markings, RS Road Studs, SF Street Furniture, SG Signs & Trees, VG Grass Verges, WM Winter Maintenance 13
Calne Area Board Appendix A Legend Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 1:56,660 Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey 100049050
Calne Area Board Appendix B Legend ROAD_CLASS A B C U 1:53,853 Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey 100049050
CONDITION OF ROADS IN WILTSHIRES AREAS BOARDS 2012-2013 APPENDIX E County Totals 543.02 18.36 3% Principal Roads (NI168) Length Surveyed in Area (kms) Length to be considered for Treatment Area Performance Indicator Percentage Length of County Treatment Total Amesbury Bradford on Avon Calne Chippenham Corsham Devizes Malmesbury Marlborough Melksham Pewsey Salisbury Southern Wiltshire South West Wiltshire Tidworth Trowbridge Warminster Westbury Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade 54.53 11.78 31.09 29.16 18.41 45.64 17.79 53.42 36.97 49.90 14.70 32.79 46.30 37.45 21.40 18.13 10.73 12.82 2.63 0.62 0.79 0.30 0.42 2.14 0.89 1.86 0.67 2.33 0.36 1.04 1.41 1.09 0.62 0.67 0.34 0.17 5 5 3 1 2 5 5 3 2 5 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 1 14.35 3.37 4.30 1.64 2.27 11.68 4.82 10.13 3.64 12.70 1.96 5.68 7.71 5.96 3.38 3.64 1.86 0.92 County Totals 2279.55 103.00 5% Non Principal Classified Roads (NI169) Length Surveyed in Area (kms) Length to be considered for Treatment Area Performance Indicator Percentage Length of County Treatment Total Amesbury Bradford on Avon Calne Chippenham Corsham Devizes Malmesbury Marlborough Melksham Pewsey Salisbury Southern Wiltshire South West Wiltshire Tidworth Trowbridge Warminster Westbury Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade 124.26 93.90 74.59 206.56 100.20 101.83 307.01 145.41 72.42 142.38 15.21 113.70 320.74 63.14 38.63 158.20 53.97 147.41 1.98 5.90 4.51 12.06 3.43 3.52 24.92 2.48 3.42 4.58 0.87 2.77 19.22 0.82 1.35 2.23 0.99 7.96 2 6 6 6 3 3 8 2 5 3 6 2 6 1 3 1 2 5 1.92 5.73 4.38 11.71 3.33 3.42 24.19 2.41 3.32 4.44 0.84 2.69 18.66 0.80 1.31 2.16 0.96 7.73 County Totals 1650.57 380.72 23% Non Principal Unclassified Roads (BVPI224B) Length Surveyed in Area (kms) Length to be considered for Treatment Area Performance Indicator Percentage Length of County Treatment Total Amesbury Bradford on Avon * Calne Chippenham Corsham Devizes Malmesbury Marlborough Melksham * Pewsey Salisbury Southern Wiltshire South West Wiltshire Tidworth Trowbridge * Warminster * Westbury * Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade 94.87 45.03 71.73 153.29 85.45 97.73 81.04 108.41 72.19 106.78 98.98 176.01 108.51 59.59 83.35 64.67 49.51 93.46 8.56 11.18 19.61 38.59 35.55 14.34 32.14 19.82 17.29 25.54 15.58 30.52 14.94 20.26 15.51 17.57 13.58 30.16 9 25 27 25 42 15 40 18 24 24 16 17 14 34 19 27 27 32 2.25 2.94 5.15 10.14 9.34 3.77 8.44 5.21 4.54 6.71 4.09 8.02 3.92 5.32 4.07 4.62 3.57 7.92 At or Below Average PI Above Average PI
Information about Wiltshire Council services can be made available on request in other languages including BSL and formats such as large print and audio. Please contact the council by telephone 0300 456 0100, by textphone 01225 712500, or email customerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk يمكن عند الطلب الحصول على معلومات حول خدمات مجلس بلدية ويلتشير وذلك با شكال (معلومات بخط عريض ا و سماعية) ولغات مختلفة. الرجاء الاتصال بمجلس البلدية على الرقم ٠٣٠٠٤٥٦٠١٠٠ ا و من خلال الاتصال النصي (تيكست فون) على الرقم (٠١٢٢٥) ٧١٢٥٠٠ ا و بالبريد الالكتروني على العنوان التالي: customerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk 如 果 有 需 要 我 們 可 以 使 用 其 他 形 式 ( 例 如 : 大 字 體 版 本 或 者 錄 音 帶 ) 或 其 他 語 言 版 本 向 您 提 供 有 關 威 爾 特 郡 政 務 會 各 項 服 務 的 資 訊, 敬 請 與 政 務 會 聯 繫, 電 話 :0300 456 0100, 文 本 電 話 :(01225) 712500, 或 者 發 電 子 郵 件 至 :customerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk Na yczenie udost pniamy informacje na temat usług oferowanych przez władze samorz dowe hrabstwa Wiltshire (Wiltshire Council) w innych formatach (takich jak du ym drukiem lub w wersji audio) i w innych j zykach. Prosimy skontaktowa si z władzami samorz dowymi pod numerem telefonu 0300 456 0100 lub telefonu tekstowego (01225) 712500 b d za po rednictwem poczty elektronicznej na adres: customerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk (01225) 712500 (Wiltshire Council) 0300 456 0100 customerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk This document was published by Wiltshire Council, You can contact us in the following ways: By telephone 0300 456 0100 and ask to speak to Highways and Transport. By post Wiltshire Council County Hall Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8JN By email customercare@wiltshire.gov.uk Website www.wiltshire.gov.uk