Do we want advertising hoardings on our roundabouts?

The district council has been casting about for ways of generating cash. As a result it has submitted a planning application (to itself!) requesting permission to erect advertising hoardings at 15 locations on roundabouts across the district.

I will be interested to see how this is received. When the same idea was put forward several years ago it was withdrawn quite swiftly because various people were unhappy at the prospect of advertising and further ‘clutter’ in Epping Forest.This has not deterred the Conservatives from including the Wake Arms and Robin Hood roundabouts in the current application, as well as other roundabouts in less sensitive locations. As far as I can see from the information on the district council website, the City of London (which is responsible for Epping Forest) hasn’t been asked for its views.

The council hopes to erect up to three hoardings per roundabout (5 feet by about 2½ feet) mounted on poles. You can find out more using the council’s new online planning service: the application number is EPF/1814/2008.

On the doorstep

Epping Forest’s Liberal Democrat councillors met this morning to discuss the agenda for the council meeting on Tuesday week and other forthcoming issues. As various members reported back on the work they were doing and the issues they were pursuing I was struck by how much work goes on behind the scenes that must be totally invisible to most residents.

Sometimes this is because the work concerns individuals and it isn’t appropriate to make the details public. Sometimes it is long term work that may or may not come to fruition. At other times it is simply too obscure or complex to be of wide interest. But often we simply don’t think to tell people, although we try to make sure the most important bits of news are covered by our Focus newsletters and at www.eflibdems.org.uk. Part of the reason for starting this mini-blog is to try and report back more frequently about the things which I and my Lib Dem colleagues are doing.

This afternoon Janet Whitehouse and I knocked on doors in Epping and Coopersale to thank people for supporting us in the elections in May and discuss local issues. A few people were surprised to find us on their doorsteps outside of election time but we think it is important to keep in touch all year round. As usual we both picked up several issues we need to pursue, including some speeding traffic issues to raise with Essex County Council. As a bonus four people volunteered to help deliver our Focus newsletters.

If you can help deliver Focus in your road (ideally every two to three months) please drop me a line at jon.whitehouse@eflibdems.org.uk.

Bell Common Tunnel roadworks underway

I popped in yesterday to the Highways Agency’s exhibition about major roadworks about to start at Bell Common tunnel. Drivers who travelled through the Holmesdale Tunnel near Enfield a couple of years ago will be familiar with the sort of work that is planned: upgrading the ventilation system and replacing electrics and emergency equipment.

Unlike at Holmesdale, the Agency has committed to keeping three lanes of traffic open in each direction during the day. As an average of 120,000 drivers travel through the tunnel every 24 hours this is pretty important if massive delays are to be avoided. The estimated completion date is March 2011 and the agency reckons that delays at peak times should be no more than 15 minutes. We will see. As a local councillor the main concerns I had were about the amount of traffic which might be tempted to divert from the M25 onto local roads if the delays are lengthy, the visual impact of the new ventilation units when the scheme is complete and the effect on local residents (noise, air pollution etc.) during construction. The answers were broadly re-assuring – an environmental assessment has been carried out, the contractors have liaised with Epping Forest District Council’s environmental health officers and there will be new planting when the works are complete – but I’ll be checking a couple of things with council officers.

You can find more information at the Highways Agency project page here. I’ve also found a presentation [PDF] explaining details of the work.  Costain (the contractor) has set up a 24-hour community helpline for anyone with queries or concern:

 08456 037985

bctinfo@costain.com