Scottish Borders Council

Agenda item

Community Council Spotlight.

Opportunity for members of the public to raise any issues not included on the agenda.

Minutes:

9.1     Community Councillor Lewin advised he was unhappy with the proposed permanent traffic lights on the A72 at Neidpath Corner and considered that the Council should undertake sufficient works to alleviate the need for traffic lights.  This was supported by Community Councillor Hughes.  The Neighbourhood Manager advised that a section of the roadside retaining/parapet wall had developed a significant lean to the vertical.  There was also visible cracking to the carriageway adjacent to the wall although there was no visible sign that the road was deformed across its profile.  The initial visual assessment of the wall indicated that it was not retaining the road as much as the section which collapsed in 2011 and therefore would not be as significant a matter to resolve.  However, officers of Asset Management concluded that the wall was in imminent danger of collapse and this would have an impact on the adjacent carriageway, which although minimal, required the westbound lane of the A72 to be closed off on the grounds of safety.  Temporary traffic lights had therefore been erected at the locus and these would remain in position until the wall had been repaired.  During February a structural engineer from the Council carried out a more detailed assessment of the location where the section of wall was leaning.   During this assessment no instability of the slope below the wall was observed and the appearance of the wall lean indicated that it was a structural wall failure as opposed to a slope failure.  This observation was further supported in the report prepared by Consultant AECOM which was carried out for the Council in February 2011.  As a result of there being no slope instability, officers were therefore proceeding to design a relatively simple mass concrete block retaining wall which would be faced with masonry to match in with the existing.  It was hoped that the majority of the facing stone could be recovered from the existing wall when it was taken down.  With the design in its early stages, and a need for the repair to be fully costed to allow the identification of budget, it was difficult to confirm timescales. However, it was anticipated that a design and projected cost should be available by the middle of March.  With current traffic flows on the A72 being under temporary traffic light control, officers had  taken this opportunity to visually assess the remainder of the wall and had identified three isolated sections which would  be taken down and rebuilt at the same time as the repair to the leaning section.  The Council had allocated funding within its Capital Plan 2015/16 – 2024/25 for the installation of permanent traffic lights on the A72 at Neidpath corner.  This work was currently programmed for the initial design assessment to be completed during 2015/16, with the final installation carried out during the following year.  Officers of the Council’s Design Services section were therefore taking the opportunity when temporary traffic lights were in position, to consider options for the location of the permanent traffic lights.  The main consideration would be the location of the permanent lights, in relation to existing road widths and forward visibility, so that traffic waiting times were kept to a minimum.  The opportunity was also being taken to speak to Scottish Power regarding the permanent power supply to the traffic lights. Due to the nature of the site and location of existing Scottish Power apparatus it was likely that this would be a significant cost to the project. Consideration was also being given to any part of the permanent works which could be carried out during the period when the wall repair works were being completed.  Community Councillor Lewin requested that a cost estimate be produced for the next meeting in relation to works which needed to be done to alleviate the  requirement for traffic lights but he was advised that the costs of such a survey could not be afforded.  Councillor Bhatia indicated it would be helpful for the entire route of the A72 to be mapped showing where issues were and also it would be useful for Council roads officials to be present at a future meeting to discuss problem areas.  The setting up of an A72 Action Group had been discussed at a previous meeting of the Forum but a mechanism for this had not been found.  Councillor Lewin indicated he wished to reserve the right to come back to discuss the position at Neidpath Corner if the traffic lights failed to improve the situation. 

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

9.2     Community Councillor Stewart referred to discussions at the Royal Burgh of Peebles and District Community Council in relation to illegal parking, second bridge over the River Tweed, complaints relating to the 62 bus service terminating at Galashiels,  no longer running directly to the Borders General Hospital.  In regard to the future of Hay Lodge Hospital, Community Councillor Stewart and Councillor Bell had a meeting with Doctors today and a report would be issued on the discussions.     

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

9.3     The Neighbourhood Manager presented an update on the A72 Wester Happrew – Lyne River Bank Erosion and advised that the Council had had to erect temporary traffic lights on the A72 near to Wester Happrew due a section of the Lyne Water river embankment which had eroded recently and required the Council to take action to make it safe. Approximately 2m of road verge was remaining from road edge to the top of the erosion at present; however, with the height of the riverbank being approximately 3.5m, the structural stability of the road was being compromised.  The length of the eroded section requiring repair was approximately 25m.   To allow the Council to carry out reinforcement works to the riverbank, officers were required to gain permission from SEPA.   Although currently out with the normal window for working within water courses, SEPA had  agreed, in this case, to allow the Council to proceed with the repair under an accelerated determination under Regulation 18 of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.   The repair would be in the form of placing armour stone to complete a greybank reinforcement repair. Suitably sized stone had now been sourced to allow the repair works to proceed and it was anticipated that the repair works would commence at this location during week commencing Monday 9 March and would take approximately one week to complete. It should also be noted that the timing of any works will be dependent on the level of the Lyne Water.   The Council had erected temporary traffic lights on the A701 near to Cloverhill due a section of the Broughton Burn embankment which had eroded recently and required the Council to take action to make it safe.   Although the repair was much smaller than the embankment at Wester Happrew, permission had now been received from SEPA and repair works at this location would follow on after the repair works at Wester Happrew had been completed.

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

9.4     Community Councillor Taylor gave information relating safe to access across the A703 in Eddleston for pedestrians.  A meeting had been held last week and a survey was to be made of pedestrian traffic movement which would hopefully justify a pedestrian crossing in the area.

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

9.5     Councillor Bhatia referred to subsidence of the river course at Horsburgh Straight south east of the Cardrona Junction advising that part of the banking had been pegged off.   The Neighbourhood  Manager advised that he would contact Councillor Bhatia to give her an update on the position.

 

DECISION

AGREED that the Neighbourhood Manager would update Councillor Bhatia on the position regarding the area of banking which had been pegged off south east of the Cardrona Junction. 

 

 

 

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