Council turns to pot holes with extra £54,000 (From Bucks Free Press)
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Buckinghamshire County Council turns to pot holes with extra £54,000
9:14am Tuesday 12th January 2010 in Politics By Lawrence Dunhill
Cllr Letheren thanked gritters for their efforts yesterday
AN extra £54,000 is to be spent on fixing pot holes over a three week period, Buckinghamshire County Council's transport boss said today.
Val Letheren told BBC Radio 4: “We normally have nine teams going around repairing pot holes but we're going to have an extra six teams, which will cost us £3,000-a-week for each team.
“They will first of all work on a three week programme and then probably we will be extending that as we had to do last year...we just need to get going on it straight away.”
Though pot holes are now a major concern, gritters are still out salting secondary routes in the county.
Icy roads again caused chaos in some areas of High Wycombe this morning.
Si Khan is coordinating the effort for BCC and said two crews are currently out fixing pot holes on roads that have been cleared of snow.
She said five crews are filling grit bins while three are out gritting. She also said Wycombe District Council has eight crews gritting pavements by hand.
Geoff French, the vice president of the Institute for Civil Engineers, was interviewed after Cllr Letheren on Radio 4 and called for the Government to give more cash to local authorities for roads maintenance.
See the link below to listen to the both interviews.
Desborough Park Road was described as covered in "sheer black ice" this morning as a resident said 4x4s were sliding sideways down it during rush hour.
Post your comments below with any information about traffic problems and treacherous road conditions.
Most schools in the county are open today. Check the link below for information on your school.
Comments(28)
SDJones
says...
10:04am Tue 12 Jan 10
stubbs7
says...
10:25am Tue 12 Jan 10
Mutley
says...
10:42am Tue 12 Jan 10
Tracyfry28
says...
11:18am Tue 12 Jan 10
As for clearing the road ourselves my husband went out of his way last to grit most of Hennerton Way himself, which he did not have to do!!
We should not have to wait for other people to do this, we don't get paid to do it, and we don't even get a thank you for it.
As my other half said if someone was to pay him he would grit the bloody roads himself as no one else seems to be doing it!!
Marge14
says...
12:45pm Tue 12 Jan 10
miccles
says...
12:51pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Marge14 wrote:Ummm when did we last have a hot summer?????
Am I the only one who etches the news and sees that there is a national grit shortage? We live in a valley with lots of hills and a much as we all think that we are the centre of the universe and our roads and paths should be gritted before the next street it isn't going to happen! It is no ones fault so why don't we all stop **** and just get on with it as best as we all can? Only one person to blame is mother nature and I'm afraid I don't think she really gives a s**t! Soon it will be summer and you can all moan how hot it is!!!
miccles
says...
12:53pm Tue 12 Jan 10
get your ar*e back to BCC and do some constructive work for a change.
Slimster
says...
12:55pm Tue 12 Jan 10
+
Totteridge Road has some mega craters to fill and I'm sure there are plenty of others across town.
Slimster
says...
12:58pm Tue 12 Jan 10
miccles wrote:Gorw up miccles. This is postivie PR for Wycombe. While it may be good for her ego, it is also good for Wycombe to be 'heard' out in the big scarey world.
What is this snobby creature doing on Radio 4????
get your ar*e back to BCC and do some constructive work for a change.
+
They had the Wycombe 4x4 'rescue' guys on BBC's Inside Out last night - more good PR for Wycombe.
+
We need the publicity - everyone still remembers us for those infamous Islamic extremists who wanted to blow up planes.
chris740
says...
12:59pm Tue 12 Jan 10
ferrellcat
says...
1:02pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Marge14 wrote:Way to go Marge.Thats the attitude I sadly rarely see on here.Your can be in my gang now.
Am I the only one who etches the news and sees that there is a national grit shortage? We live in a valley with lots of hills and a much as we all think that we are the centre of the universe and our roads and paths should be gritted before the next street it isn't going to happen! It is no ones fault so why don't we all stop **** and just get on with it as best as we all can? Only one person to blame is mother nature and I'm afraid I don't think she really gives a s**t! Soon it will be summer and you can all moan how hot it is!!!
miccles
says...
1:17pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Slimster wrote:Ummm Mr Wonderful, think that should say "Grow" not Gorw.
miccles wrote:Gorw up miccles. This is postivie PR for Wycombe. While it may be good for her ego, it is also good for Wycombe to be 'heard' out in the big scarey world.
What is this snobby creature doing on Radio 4????
get your ar*e back to BCC and do some constructive work for a change.
+
They had the Wycombe 4x4 'rescue' guys on BBC's Inside Out last night - more good PR for Wycombe.
+
We need the publicity - everyone still remembers us for those infamous Islamic extremists who wanted to blow up planes.
Go back and think of your Islamic Extremists.
and learn how to spell at the same time.
Hit me
says...
1:18pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Farmer Pickles
says...
1:24pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Slimster wrote:But doesn't the council have a whopping great contingency to cope with unforeseen circumstances?
I feel a little sorry for all councils (not just Wycombe or Bucks). This long cold spell means they will have spent a lot on clearing (manpower, materials, fuel), then they will have extra potholes (i.e. more than usual) to clear. They do budget for this, but they can't afford to save for the worst-case scenario for any services due to lack of funding.
+
Totteridge Road has some mega craters to fill and I'm sure there are plenty of others across town.
That will be the contingency money they lost in Iceland then...
TheT0nemeister
says...
1:27pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Slimster
says...
1:29pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Farmer Pickles wrote:Perhaps it is. Bit of a bugger that one. Who'd have guessed the Icelandics would run off with our money - its not as if they sent it to an alleged Nigerian scammer.
Slimster wrote:But doesn't the council have a whopping great contingency to cope with unforeseen circumstances?
I feel a little sorry for all councils (not just Wycombe or Bucks). This long cold spell means they will have spent a lot on clearing (manpower, materials, fuel), then they will have extra potholes (i.e. more than usual) to clear. They do budget for this, but they can't afford to save for the worst-case scenario for any services due to lack of funding.
+
Totteridge Road has some mega craters to fill and I'm sure there are plenty of others across town.
That will be the contingency money they lost in Iceland then...
Slimster
says...
1:31pm Tue 12 Jan 10
miccles wrote:I do know how to spell. I obviously typed that too quickly and didn't check. Please accept my profuse apologies. Yours grovelingly.
Slimster wrote:Ummm Mr Wonderful, think that should say "Grow" not Gorw.
miccles wrote:Gorw up miccles. This is postivie PR for Wycombe. While it may be good for her ego, it is also good for Wycombe to be 'heard' out in the big scarey world.
What is this snobby creature doing on Radio 4????
get your ar*e back to BCC and do some constructive work for a change.
+
They had the Wycombe 4x4 'rescue' guys on BBC's Inside Out last night - more good PR for Wycombe.
+
We need the publicity - everyone still remembers us for those infamous Islamic extremists who wanted to blow up planes.
Go back and think of your Islamic Extremists.
and learn how to spell at the same time.
Zak Attack
says...
1:37pm Tue 12 Jan 10
miccles
says...
1:49pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Slimster wrote:Apology accepted, hey we all have our opinions, life would be so boring if we all said the same thing.
miccles wrote:I do know how to spell. I obviously typed that too quickly and didn't check. Please accept my profuse apologies. Yours grovelingly.
Slimster wrote:Ummm Mr Wonderful, think that should say "Grow" not Gorw.
miccles wrote:Gorw up miccles. This is postivie PR for Wycombe. While it may be good for her ego, it is also good for Wycombe to be 'heard' out in the big scarey world.
What is this snobby creature doing on Radio 4????
get your ar*e back to BCC and do some constructive work for a change.
+
They had the Wycombe 4x4 'rescue' guys on BBC's Inside Out last night - more good PR for Wycombe.
+
We need the publicity - everyone still remembers us for those infamous Islamic extremists who wanted to blow up planes.
Go back and think of your Islamic Extremists.
and learn how to spell at the same time.
sidthesexist
says...
2:03pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Plus ça change...
says...
2:23pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Whatever the causes we need to avoid people spending a night in or dumping their vehicles in their own town. It's just plain daft.
Combine it with LIVE gritter movements, bin collection vehicle movements, pothole team activities and noone will ever complain again!
Did I miss the 'Wycombe man spotted wearing tights over his boots' article ...?
arewenearlythereyet?
says...
2:26pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Are you saying that he took it upon himself to deviate from his designated route and grit his own road??
A case of "I'm all right Jack..."
Tracyfry28
says...
3:38pm Tue 12 Jan 10
And by the way my husband would not been seen dead working for Wycombe District Council!!!!!!!!
bowlmovement
says...
4:41pm Tue 12 Jan 10
thethe
says...
4:42pm Tue 12 Jan 10
and-making-the-roads
-less-safe-scheme to resurface the roads properly
Tracyfry28
says...
5:02pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Rikard
says...
5:18pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Plus ça change... wrote:Hear hear! It's a FACT that at some point BCC won't be able to keep the roads open. Personally I still think they could have done more (NOT THE FRONT LINE STAFF BUT THOSE AT BCC HQ IN PLANNING).
Somehow give us a LIVE map of the District at such times of bad weather or emergency so we can see the obvious and leave our vehicles at home.
Whatever the causes we need to avoid people spending a night in or dumping their vehicles in their own town. It's just plain daft.
Combine it with LIVE gritter movements, bin collection vehicle movements, pothole team activities and noone will ever complain again!
Did I miss the 'Wycombe man spotted wearing tights over his boots' article ...?
BCC have resorted to speaking to us like schoolchildren as usual.
BUT - the lack of a contingency plan belies their ineptitude. IF they KNOW (after all it's FACT) that at a certain point they won't be able to cope then WHERE ARE THE COMMON SENSE PLANS?
The people of Wycombe are not all moaning about the grit issue - they crave and deserve a co-ordinated plan to keep us AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE during these EXTREMELY DANGEROUS events.
If BCC shut up for a minute and LISTENED then they would find that the people have quite a few COMMON SENSE ideas that they would do well to take on board.
Tracyfry28 says...
10:02am Tue 12 Jan 10
My husband followed a gritter through Totteridge yesterday morning and he said it was a joke not even a teaspoon full was sprayed down to the roads, he know's what he is talking about as he does the job himself.
So even if you see a gritter check the back as you will prob find out that it is not even lying grit down.