Agenda item

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• The road surfaces of Larne Road and West Hatch Manor were in very poor condition
• Concerns were raised about the uneven level of paving and the gaps in the paving stones and the detrimental effects on residents, particularly on the elderly and children
•  Suggested that Larne Road was heavily used at various times of the day by children
• Double parking at the Windmill Hill end of West Hatch Manor was an hindrance to emergency vehicles and lorries
• The edge and guttering in some parts of the roads ranged from being in good to very poor conditions, with the growth of weeds and grass in some parts

The Cabinet Member commented that:

• The issue of potholes in roads in the UK was a huge problem for many local authorities
• The Administration recognised that this winter had been the worst in thirty years
• After the bad weather, inspection of the roads in Hillingdon were carried out to ascertain repairs that would be required before the next winter
•  Following the inspection, officers reported that it was estimated that it would cost £2.4 million to repair the roads
• The original highways budget of £750,000 therefore fell short of this amount required
• The release of £2.4 million pound had therefore been agreed, with £1.1 million being released in March 2010 and the remaining £1.3 million being rolled over from the beginning April 2010 onwards
• That Larne Road and West Hatch Manor would be placed on the Council’s list for structural resurfacing

The Cabinet Member requested officers to investigate and submit a report should any issue of safety be found, as a result of vehicles double parking at the Windmill Hill end of West Hatch Manor.

Resolved - That the Cabinet Member for Planning & Transportation noted the views of the petitioners and asked officers to:

1. Place Larne Road and West Hatch Manor on the list for structural resurfacing.

2. Place Larne Road footway on a future resurfacing programme.

3. Continue to monitor West Hatch Manor footway and ensure any responsive maintenance works to damaged kerbs, defectivebituminous areas or concrete paving slabs are implemented as necessary.

1. Carry out a review of the thermoplastic road lines, particularly at the junctions with West Hatch Manor and implement re-lining where appropriate. 

Reasons for recommendation

Officers consider that a substantial part of the West Hatch Manor carriageway has suffered loss of structural integrity in the uppermost layers.  There is also suggestion that Larne Road may be in the early stages of a loss of structural integrity. This is reinforced by the results of the UK Pavement Management System (UKPMS), which provides an average Coarse Visual Inspection (CVI) result of 110.95 for Larne Road and 114.02 for West Hatch Manor, where 75 is the point at which action is recommended.

Both the existing West Hatch Manor and Larne Road carriageways have suffered significantly within a relatively short period of time and there is evidence of crazing and rutting in significant areas with shallow fretting in isolated areas.  This is partly due to the natural ageing of the bituminous surface, which is now breaking up after an estimated life of at least 43 years. More significantly, the uppermost structural layers in West Hatch Manor and Larne Road appear to be failing, with trench reinstatements in Larne Road and West Hatch Road creating a patchwork effect in the carriageway, with some settlement and fretting of these reinstatements.

The surface edges of the road between the kerb and the carriageway have worn in a number of locations and would benefit from responsive repairs. Furthermore, the recent severe weather has greatly exacerbated the existing situation resulting in a rapid deterioration in the roads at these locations.  Parking of vehicles, especially at junction locations is causing a problem to drivers, significantly reducing forward visibility.

Alternative options considered

None

Relevant Wards

Eastcote and East Ruislip