Anyone else think the repaving on Chapel Road is a disgrace?  The pavement that used to be there was fine.  They have replaced it with shoddy tarmac that is full of foot prints.  I cannot believe the Council is going to leave it the way it is or that they are letting the contractor get away with it.  It shows a total disregard for the residents of the street. 

You can hardly call it repaving or even tarmac. It is a thin coat of black 'stuff' that was meant to cover (hide) the uneven surface where the developers have left the service trenches they dug so unevenly finished. The developer has declined to finish the whole of the Elnor Lane/Chapel Road junction and the County Council are now calling in a £90k bond to finish the work that should have been completed by February 2009. There are many puddles along the whole length espoecially at the bus stop - just where you put your case on the way to the airport on the 199. The 'new' junction is still not re-adopted by DCC.

What about the bright galvanised barrier on Elnor Lane? Don't you think that looks nice as well. DCC Highways made the barrier a condition of planning permssion for the Cotton Close development. HPBC says it should have a dry stone wall behind it but we know the bset stone disappered on pallets at the start of the development two and a half years ago andthe rest was pushed over the edge.

The sad part about the whole development is that Whaley Bridge Town Council do not appear to be the slightest bit interested in the shortcomings just as they demonstrate a lack of interest in the traffic problems of the town and many other areas of community concern. Then, they were nearly all elected unopposed or coopted just as the present vacancy will be, so, have we any right to expect them to do anything but talk about the matters they are interested in? It is a pity that the one or two WB councillors who do more than talk cannot get the others interested in making real changes! to the Town

Edited by user 26 October 2009 17:20:27(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Interesting I'm sure...

But what everyone wants to know is what is the difference between a cormorant and a shag?

I know which one I'd prefer on my dining table.

No juvenile innuendo intended.

Ah! So maybe this  is where the expression 'laying the table' originated.

'Elbows off the table' could take on a whole new connotation also.

Getting back from the smut of the above replies and onto the Cotton Close/Elnor Lane problems. I took out an Ombudsman Complaint against Derbyshire County Council, due to their lack of enforcement of the conditions of the development. The affair went on for many, many months AND 'FINISHED' A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. The Ombudsman (LGO) decided that even though Derbyshire County Council let matters go well beyond their own deadline of Feb 2009, for the developer to complete his obligations, he (LGO) would not even censure DCC. What a waste of time that complaint was.

I had a meeting with the DCC Highways engineer and a DCC representative on Wednesday 28 Oct and went through all the problems as I saw them (notes were taken and photos supplied) including street lighting, the bright galvanised barrier and the Chapel Road pavement 'covering' hiding the poor service trench  that resulted in puddles at the bus stop and along the whole length of the pavement at the new development; the Chapel side of the junction and the dumped road signs from three years ago, the convenience parking (Cotton Close residents for sure, I've seen them come out and get into their cars,  even though they have a street, driveways and garages) that now extends the horrendous traffic flow problems  casued by double sided parking from Horwich End traffic lights to Eccles Road, etc. etc.

There is a lot to do. However the DCC legal department are now trying to obtain the £91k legal surety they are entitled to enable themselves to do the work before it is up to the safe and legal standard they require. I said if they don't get it then they will still have to do the work from public funds (yours and mine).

There are two breaches of the planning permision to be put right. 1. is that the bright galvanised barrier should have the dry stone wall put back behind it. N.B. the original missing stone was either taken away on pallets and the rest bulldozed over the edge. And 2. that one wall opening on Chapel Road was not authorised. That appears to be one near the bus stop. AND more bad news for someone local. The person/s who park their cars on the new junction not only do so too (legally) close to the main road but they also remove some of the safety built in to the realignment of the old ELNOR LANE/CHAPEL ROAD from its old configuration. I was told this is to be looked in to!

A lot of mess and thughtlessness to sort out here. Lets hope it can be done soon!    Maybe our new councillor (soon to adopted) will see it through when they have been selected.

Can we get back to the "smut" now please?

 Anyone still interested ?  

Those who have passed the junction of Elnor Lane and Chapel Road will not have missed the new road lights that are now in operation on Elnor Lane.

Much better don't you think?

You may also have noticed that there are the official notices to ban parking on the four corners of Eccles Road and Elnor Lane so restoring the safety factors designed into the new junction some time ago. It was illegal anyway but yellow lines will help keep it clear.

The grass verge has been given a quick clearing but there is still work to do here to make it tidy. The Whaley Bridge Brownies are hopeful of receiving some cash from WBTC and Whaley Water Weekend to enable them to plant hundreds of spring bulbs (as soon as possible).

That's not all! There is a proposal that has been put to Derbyshire County Council to pave the grassed triangle at bus stop side of the Elnor Lane/Chapel Road junction and hopefully we may then be able to find sponsorship to fix a couple of benches and a flower 'fountain' at this important 'gateway' into Whaley Bridge. 

Any more ideas where out town can be imprioved? 

Edited by user 29 November 2009 15:46:12(UTC)  | Reason: typo