Update: Gas roadworks in Caerphilly town centre could put shops out of business
Motorists are being advised to avoid Caerphilly town centre while major gas works take place.
For two weeks from October 10, the traffic light junction of Clive Street, Bartlett Street and Cardiff Road will be closed. Traffic from Bartlett street will not be allowed to enter Cardiff Road or Clive Street.
Residents will get access to their homes by going up Crescent Road with the altering of some one way traffic orders. An alternate bus stop has been provided at the top of White Street to assist passengers travelling on buses heading to Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen from Caerphilly town centre.
Once this junction work has been completed, works will continue down Cardiff Road to Stockland Street. Cardiff Road will remain closed to through traffic for a period of about five weeks while Clive Street will reopen to traffic.
A council spokesman said: “Caerphilly County Borough Council regrets the effects on traffic and advises travellers wherever possible to avoid Caerphilly town.
“Anyone wishing to get additional information should contact our customer careline on 01443 875500.”
It appears that very few persons are working on this job during weekdays and none at night nor during the weekends.
Traders in town are going to find trade affected by the closure of the road and are unlikely to be compensated by British Gas.
Would it be at all possible for pressure to be applied to the contractor to work 24/7 and increase the workforce so that the work could be completed within 10 days or even a week?
The Council have actually been quite proactive in respect to the contractors notifying both retailers and residents in the town of this disruption.
But Clive Elsbury`s comments are a fair suggestion in respect to the way the contractors work on this part of the renewal scheme.
Local ward Councillors, if they so wished, (because they have also been extensively consulted on these works by the contractors,) could have pressurised them to complete these works in the way Clive suggests, but there must be a reasonable and logical reason why these Councillors have not done so. Those reason may forever remain a secret, unless anyone know different.
With regard to Trefor's comment blaming local Councillors for the time taken to complete the gas main replacement in Caerphilly town I feel that it should be pointed out that a Councillor or an A.M. could have no bearing on the contract between British Gas and the contractors who are doing the work.
Perhaps our M.P. may bring pressure to bear and, hopefully, this may happen.
Clive, I am not blaming Local Councillors for the time taken to effect the works, quite the opposite in fact, the programe is driven by the contractors, clearly, but what I do suggest is that if the local Councillors felt as you and many others do, and that is that the works could be done over a much shorter time line, then there have been opportunities to ensure the contractors were told this by those Councillors, they, and Senior Council staff have been consulted for months about these works, but IT APPEARS, all those in `Authority` failed to effect any changes to increase those completion time lines.
For the avoidance of doubt, and so that no-one misinterprets what I am saying I happen to agree with Clive`s suggestion as do many many residents.
I was present at the town management meeting when these works were announced. I made a note that the only one elected member, Cllr. Ron Davies, thought to question the methods proposed. He suggested that the utility company and their contractors be asked How? When? Where?
These are totally reasonable demands for information for a local authority to make when roads are affected this way and would be standard questions from managers in private industry, should a utility company affect their operation. I had the distinct impression that if Cllr. Davies had not been present the record would have recorded that this matter was simply "noted".
I agree with Clive Elsbury that every effort should have been made to ensure round the clock working to minimise disruption to local business, commuters and town residents.
It's interesting to see from the input by Richard that even Cllr. Davies, renowned for his experience as a former Cabinet Minister, was unable to either foresee the problem for town traders or to influence those responsible for the work.
Hopefully our M.P. will jump to the rescue.
It would be wonderful if our MP did have the inclination and could spend his time influencing the way the Caerphilly Borough Council and the utility companies dig up our streets, but the fact is it is a responsibility that should be dealt with by Local Ward Councillors, they, as the highways authority, have a total control over who and what effects our streets, and who has control of the Highway Department?, Local Councillors..
I repeat an earlier comment I made in this blog, and that is that our Ward Councillors probably have a perfectly reasonable and acceptable excuse for not urging Wales and The West Utilities to do what Clive suggests to get these works completed in the shortest possible time by the very methods Clive suggest, which as I have already said, is what residents have also been suggesting.
Your Plaid Ward councillors have been far from absent in representing residents and shopkeepers in this Wales and West Gas mains replacement operation and have attended meetings where only one other member of the public also attended. We have asked for alternative routes and hours of operation to be considered to expedite the work however the work area, Cardiff Road, is already congested with other utilities which need to be taken into consideration and the Health and Safety executive would not allow this particular work to be carried out over night.
We would all like to see the work carried out as quickly as possible and with a minimum amount of disruption to residents, businesses and visitors alike to Caerffili. In our discussions with the company it seems not all utilities running under the road are as detailed in the plans held, and consequently slight amendments to the new mains have had to be made when the trench is dug out, this has caused delay and it’s this unknown factor that can hinder progress. Other than this work is moving along as per the schedule.
I doubt very much that the HSE would "would not allow this particular work to be carried out over night", in my experience, as both engineer and manager, you don't get a problem from them if your method statements are properly thought out.
In any case this does not explain Clive Elsbury's comment that work ceases on weekends. It all boils down to whether the right questions are asked. The only person who seemed prepared to do so was Cllr. Ron Davies.
Disruption is inevitable when mains services are renewed. The job of, highly paid, council cabinet members is to minimise this. I am not alone in believing that they have failed in this instance.
There is your answer Clive,From a ward Councillor.
I knew there must be reasonable grounds for the work not being able to be effected over a shorter period as suggested by Clive Elsbury, and, I was also aware that the ward Councillors had been in close consultation with the contractors, and I presume they would have raised the subject of the time line for completing the works, could the input of Wayne David MP have brought about a different outcome, I doubt it, the best people to do this are Ward Councillors and we have our answer straight from the horses mouth, above.
so it appears we have the best of a difficult situation.
I thought I was a reasonably well informed resident of the town centre, but we havent had any information regarding the disruption caused by the necessary work on renewing the gas mains. James Fussell talks of meeting attended by only one member of the public, I would suggest that that was due to non existent publicity of the meeting. I would have thought that the least the councillors could have done is a door to door leaflet drop, but the only information I`ve had is a copy of an A1 size drawing reduced to an A1 size on which the text is illegible, and this was given to my wife by a shopkeeper, nothing from the council. Yet these same councillors will want us to vote for them in the next election, well,on the evidence of the gas main fiasco and their total failure to deal wtih the problem of residents parking, they are not up to the job, or my vote.
The gas mains renewal is far from a fiasco, it would be if the work was not carried out and a leak caused serious injury and or damage to property. Wales and West Utilities in addition to the meeting held have carried out survey of all businesses in Cardiff Road face to face and distributed to residents on the 14th Sept notice of the works and closing of the roads. This included maps of the areas affected. Road signs have been in place for many months and notice on the Caerffili and Observer web sites and Caerffili Campaign.
Plaid councillors leafleted 750 houses in Caerffili town, including Mr J Owen’ property, and held a surgery in the Twyn Community centre on the 1st October, no resident raised the gas mains replacement at all.
Parking in Caerffili town is like dealing with a quart into a pint pot, as I mentioned at Neuadd Y Parc meeting where in one area of town there are 136 parking places and 191 houses with 147 permits issued. Short of demolishing buildings were are residents likely to park?
It appears James Fussell is in denial about the serious situation caused by Wales and West Utilities and the effect these works have on Cardiff Road Businesses and the town.
His support and his confidence, demonstrated in his remarks, aimed I think at John Owen, a resident of the town, for the processes followed by the Caerphilly C. council and Wales and West Utilities, and indeed his own efforts as a Plaid Cymru Councillor to consult residents and traders alike is not shared by most of the residents or the traders of the town.
Councillor Fussells regard for "consultation" leaves a lot to be desired, the Caerphilly council have had no consultation with the residents on the current situation in the town, nor, I suspect did they intend to, as it was, according to them ,a matter for Wales and West Utilities,that being the case, it was probably unrealistic for its Councillors to do something they have never done on any subject, and that is consult the citizens of the town.
The parking problems are another matter and will be dealt with in another arena come the next local elections. I have to say one thing and that is that Councillor Fussell and his two Plaid Cymru colleagues who represent the town have been consistant on this matter and steadfastly refused to support residents and traders to have the parking laws enforced by Gwent Police. It appears to me that the works in the town were scheduled not to conflict with the Big Cheese, the Bike Race, and The Proms in the Park, and delayed as a result, however, the works now conflict with the lead up to and the Christmas Trade which town center traders were relying on for survival, in some cases. So who are the losers in this situation????
So Just who was the genius who decided that both Cardiff Road and St Cennydd road should be closed at the same time?
And for such a long period of time?
Travelling home from work in Cardiff to my home in the Energlyn area is a nightmare. Leaving Cardiff Bay at about 6 pm via Thornhill one cannot go through town, nor can one go down the Watford road and through Trecennydd, therefore the only way through is via the Nantgarw route, along with everyone coming from the A470 and elsewhere, and of course there are tempory traffic lights by the Trecennydd roundabout which I timed as taking 6 minutes from the time they turn red until they turn green again. On Tuesday evening it took me 25 minutes just to get through the stretch of road from the garden center to the school.
I feel sorry for the traders trying to make a living in such a difficult economic climate who are now faced with the double whammy of having the idiots in the council adding to their woes, and I feel sorry for the poor frustrated motorists/commuters who have to try and go about their business.
Roll on local elections!