AGENDA ITEM 9
BOROUGH OF POOLE
CANFORD HEATH EAST AND WEST, CREEKMOOR AND OAKDALE AREA COMMITTEE
8 NOVEMBER 2006
REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
PARKING ON GRASS VERGE IN WAVELL AVENUE
1. Item for Information
1.1 Concerns have been expressed about the condition of the highway verge between the carriageway and footway in front of Nos. 51 - 65 Wavell Avenue. While residents have mentioned that the verge has been damaged in the past by Statutory Undertakers, there has been no significant utility work in the last six years and evidence suggests that the current condition of the verge is primarily due to its use by residents for either vehicular access to their properties or for parking.
1.2 Any works to significantly improve the verge would need the current usage curtailed by stricter enforcement and/or the use of wooden stakes (dragon’s teeth) to physically stop misuse. Properties requiring vehicular access would need properly constructed surfacing across the verge and dropped kerbs at the road edge. This work would normally be funded by the residents requiring this facility.
1.3 The overall cost of formalising the entrances with new kerbing and edgings and making good and protecting verges is approx £15K (dependent on exact detail) . Creating a paved parking area would cost a similar amount and would only have a limited benefit for a few residents. Neither option could be justified out of the highway maintenance budget as they do not address the priorities of improving road condition Borough-wide (as measured by Best Value Performance Indicators). They would also only benefit the residents of the above properties who should be meeting the cost of the work themselves.
1.4 Recent inspections of the verge indicate that, although the situation is not ideal, the verge is not significantly worse than others throughout the borough and would not justify any immediate treatment.
STEVE TITE
ACTING HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
Officer Contact:
Steve Dean
Tel: (01202) 262071