Another festive cock up from our muddled local highway authority. Those little elves in Civic 3 are working overtime on the Christmas Cracker Cock up Generator. Who needs naff jokes in crackers when real life is so entertaining?
Kirklees has (or hasn’t) placed an experimental traffic regulation order on the worn out Ramsden Road in a bid to temporarily stop use by motor vehicles whilst repairs were considered and then undertaken.
These orders cost the council in the region of £6,000. In addition practical works on site to install locked gates,bollards and fencing closing off the route may well cost the same again.
The TRO on Ramsden Road came into effect recently. The gates were locked. Bollards put up. Fencing erected – all at public cost. The order was advertised as being enforced for 18 months. In fact it was barely a week until the gates were unlocked and Kirklees decided it was not “enforcing” the order. It seems it’s not just Huddersfield Byway 231 the council can’t make it’s mind up about.
The trouble with making it up as you go along is it starts to get a bit pricey and people think you don’t really know what you are doing.
Repairs to the top section of Ramsden Road are complete. The lane has never looked so good! All the deep potholes and the infamous lake have been filled in and the surface is now much more user friendly.
Lets hope the council will now maintain the lane to at least this standard.
In other news footpath signs have also gone up or been replaced on Holmfirth Footpaths 44,83,85 and 128 and an obstructing fence/vegetation cleared from Holmfirth Footpath 130. Obstructions on Kirkburton Footpath 155 and Denby Dale Footpath 82 have also been removed by the council. I can also report that the problems on Holmfirth 146 have been rectified which is extremely good news and hopefully a good quality diversion benefiting both walkers and the landowner can now go ahead.
Thanks are due to Kirklees staff for their work in resolving these problems.
Pleased to report that Kirklees have begun to repair the worst of the large “potholes” up on Ramsden Road. This includes the infamous large inland lake where many a walker has come a cropper.
The works were agreed in April and have started on time. This is a really positive development. Along with the flurry of new footpath signs and a number of other resolved problems(which will be reported on the blog) it is very good news indeed.
Many thanks to the council staff and contractors involved in arranging and carrying out these works.
Where to begin on this one? Let’s start with what it is. A byway open to all traffic (Holmfirth 180). This means walkers,riders,cyclists and motor vehicles have a right to pass along here. Might be worth mentioning who is responsible for the maintenance of Ramsden Road too. Well as it is recorded on the Definitive Map and Statement it is publicly maintainable by the local Highway Authority which is Kirklees Council. I can hear your groans and cries of despair dear reader but I’m just telling it like it is.
Clearly the surface of the byway is very much out of repair and hasn’t seen any maintenance of any kind for a long time,if ever. How has it got into this state? Well it would be very easy to blame 4×4 users who the byway is very popular with but I don’t think that would be fair. As a walker I’ve walked on many badly eroded footpaths where the damage has been caused by boots alone. So I’m not going to chuck the first stone of blame in the direction.
Many years ago before Ramsden Road was in this dire state but had the beginnings of these problems there was a popular suggestion to put a traffic regulation order on the byway which would have either stopped motor vehicle use or limited it at certain times of year. Sadly the idea was shot down in flames by local councillors who would hear none of it. The rest as they say is history and we are now left with this assault course of a byway.
No not the famous Holmfirth Lido
It is still up to Kirklees to manage the traffic on Ramsden Road and keep the byway safe and in a condition suitable for it’s expected traffic which on the face of it doesn’t seem too challenging. However it is obvious from the neglected drains,culverts and extensive damage that the byway has been left to deteriorate and the public can take their chances when walking there.
What can be done? Path Watch has asked Kirklees to carry out some urgent emergency repairs to the worst affected sections of standing water and erosion. In the short term all that means is importing some local stone to put the surface back into a safe condition. They can then have a think about what to do in the longer term.
Neglected cross drain
The byway has a good drainage system of ditches,culverts and cut offs which require reinstatement and of course the surface needs extensive repairs. This could be carried out over a period of time and need not break the bank. What ever excuses come from Kirklees there is no getting away from 1. They are responsible and 2. lack of resources is no defense. Putting corporate fingers in their ears and singing LA LA LA loudly just won’t cut it.
Reports about condition of Ramsden Road ,Holmfirth Byway 180 should be made to highways.ross@kirklees.gov.uk
Path Watch 