Kingsway Villagers

We think it is disgusting that the residents of Thatcham Avenue (and quite possibly others within Kingsway Village) are being penalised for parking outside their own houses.

A few weeks ago double yellow lines were painted along Thatcham Avenue (beyond both ends of Wittering Way) and since then signs have been erected on the lighting columns stating that this is a clamping area. As these roads have not yet been adopted by the local authority, this means that they are private roads and that the company undertaking this clamping has been privately employed to undertake this activity. From speaking with Fiona from Persimmon (who herself has fallen foul of these cretins) it is the Consortium that has employed this clamping company.

Although we appreciate that while the roads within the village are still privately owned by the consortium and it is within their right to do this, we are urging the consortium to rethink this decision as it is having detrimental effects on all of the residents of Kingsway Village, as the residents of Thatcham Avenue are now having to find spaces to park on the side roads that have not been yellow-lined.

Also, the signs that have been erected state that parking is only allowed for permit holders. This is all fair and nice, except that none of the residents of Thatcham Avenue that we’ve spoken to have any idea about how or where to get these “permits” from.

Come on Kingsway Consortium – play fair!

I was curious as to what would happen on Thatcham Ave with regards to parking once it is adopted by The Council.

I personally think allowing no parking is a good thing, so I logged a freedom of information request with The Council.
They just replied!

The summary is

• The Council expects to adopt Thatcham (and all of phase 1) as soon as someone adopts the ponds; they expect that to be April 2011.
• They plan to enforce the yellow lines as laid by QUVL – however they will also review them based on the likely bus routes. Their answer isn’t very clear – but it sounds if the bus will go ’round Thatcham as expected, then they will make the route double-yellow-lined.
• They expect the road will get a 30 mph limit (as opposed to the 20 mph signed by QUVL).

I think the last point is a shame as I think 20 mph is more suitable especially if they enforce the double yellow lines.

The following message was received this week from the QUVL:

In order to enable us to offer the main drainage to Severn Trent Water, we have several defects items which need rectifying.

Some of these are under the roads within Kingsway, and will therefore need traffic management in place for us to complete them.

Our contractor has started work this week and intends to carry out the works in this order:

1. Thatcham Avenue – adjacent to Miller Homes – one repair.

2. Valley Gardens – within bollarded bus route

3. Goose Bay Drive – 3 repairs

4. Thatcham Avenue – school end of road – minor works

I have asked the team to ensure that works in the roads are carried out between 9 am and 3pm to avoid the school run etc.

We expect to complete these works in 3 weeks, and I will keep you updated as to our progress.

Where works are outside occupied properties, I will do a letter drop.

If you could post a note on the Village website, that would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Andrew Smith

Hi Barry & Clive

Back at the Residents meeting before last we had a gentleman (sorry can’t remember his name) from QUVL talking to us.

We were told that the pavements along Thatcham Ave were being resurfaced, and true to his word they were done and if I’m not mistaken we were told that the roads would not be surfaced until the roads were to be adopted. I understand this, but we also told that all of the pot-holes in this road were to be filled in.

I’m not sure that with the somewhat heated debate that followed if this pot hole problem had been forgotten, but the pot holes seem to be getting worse as the months pass by! Especially as we are now on our way to the time of year that we all begin to dread with the frosts and icy mornings coming our way, which will only make a bad job even worse. It must be hell with the noise of  all those pot holes and traffic travelling over them for people living on Thatcham Ave.

Barry would it be possible for us to get in touch with QUVL, and ask if and when these pot holes will get filled in or our vehicles start to suffer from damage caused from constantly driving over these holes?

kevgee

I was coming home this morning along the A38 behind a car, which was following a Park and Ride bus. The traffic lights turned red in the usual fashion, and the bus driver drove straight through the red light!

He wasn’t driving fast along the road, but made no effort to stop.

Now I know he’s a heavy vehicle and takes longer to stop than a car, but the lights were red before he’d even got there and he most certainly could’ve and should have stopped!

He was either not watching the road, or just thought ‘stuff it’ and drove through.

With the thought of the number of accidents we’ve had at these lights and the fact that my wife uses the P&R, I was furious at this lack of respect for the safety of others, and so drove to the park and ride to confront him.

He was very dismissive of the whole episode and tried to justify why he went through the red light. Giving reasons like “they just changed suddenly” and “we’ve complained about those lights so many times” and “I had 15 passengers on board, and couldnt stop”.

Lights don’t suddenly change! If you think there is a problem, slow down in that area, so you have enough time to stop.

It was 9:00am – 15 passengers returning to the park and ride at that time of the morning? I think not; in fact I witnessed only two getting off the bus.

Whatever the reasons, I’ve no doubt in my mind he could’ve stopped without an issue, just chose not to, and in the process endangered the lives of others. This, from a supposedly professional driver.

I thought I read on here somewhere that there was talk of putting cameras up on the lights to catch people like this.

It gets my support…

Attention Kingsway Village: Important Notice

Following the Residents Association Meeting on 14th May 2010, I reported that Andy Smith (QUVL Project Manager) said:

the QUVL plans to examine all the roads and have the double-yellow lines repainted so that they’re clearly visible

Andy has been in touch recently and said:

Yellow Lines will be done on 4th, 5th & 6th of August.

We will have CPS enforcement on site who will temporarily lift any cars out of the way to enable the lining, and replace them afterwards…

It would be a great help if people didn’t park in Thatcham Ave and Valley Gardens on these dates to mimimise any “Where has my car gone?” questions.

I will pass the word along to my neighbours and recommend that everybody takes this advice… the fewer cars there are, the quicker the job will be done!

Before anyone asks: I don’t know the exact plans… We’ll have to wait & see