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£700,000 cock-up
IMPROVEMENT works will start this month on the controversial traffic lights at Asda Westbrook - taking the spiralling cost of the council's cock-up to around £700,000.
Warrington Borough Council has announced it is to spend £150,000 on work at the Cromwell Avenue and Westbrook Crescent junction. Taxpayers have already forked out £535,000 on the controversial scheme.
Last September experts revealed traffic flow data used by the council when planning the lights was four years out of date and that the number of visitors leaving Gulliver's wasn't accounted for.
JMP consultants said it would cost £500,000 to make the junction work properly.
A council spokesman said: "It is anticipated that the changes we are introducing will deliver additional capacity for cars, reduced average delays during peak periods, improved pedestrian access, a junction better able to cope with fluctuations in demand and more reliable journey times for travellers.
"Delays will still be present at peak times but they will be significantly reduced in frequency and scale."
Work will include:
l widening of the Cromwell Avenue northbound approach to the junction to create a left turn lane to reduce delays;
l a signal-controlled crossing across Ladywood Road with a central pedestrian island;
l a bus lay-by on the south side of Westbrook Crescent (opposite the petrol station);
l CCTV to allow the junction to be monitored from the council's traffic control room;
l and changes to the sequence of traffic lights.
Clr Terry O'Neill, the council's Labour leader, who is also a Burtonwood and Westbrook parish councillor, says proper consultation on the traffic lights did not take place and that the original roundabout did not need replacing.
But council planners say it is not possible to replace the roundabout and provide an acceptable level of pedestrian access.
Speaking to the Guardian yesterday, Clr O'Neill said: "What we as a parish council wanted was a proper investigation and the possible option of returning to the roundabout, which worked well.
"What we have got at the moment is a traffic junction that nobody wanted and nobody supported, and nobody admits who made the decision.
"If someone politically in the administration would put their hands up and say yes, we got it wrong' we could understand.
"What they appear to be doing is spending money to cover up the original decision.
"No one locally can understand where these lights came from and what is their purpose - they are just making people's lives a misery round there."
12:20pm Thursday 8th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Disgusted, Warrington on 12:26pm Thu 8 May 08
And are the morons that wasted all this money going to foot the bill? Perhaps the expenses and allowances they claim to fund their luxurious lifestyles while squandering our taxes should be used to put right this mess caused by these complete incompetents.
And are the morons that wasted all this money going to foot the bill? Perhaps the expenses and allowances they claim to fund their luxurious lifestyles while squandering our taxes should be used to put right this mess caused by these complete incompetents.
Posted by: Mr Young, Wire on 12:57pm Thu 8 May 08
Does anyone know where I can get a banner made that says "Honk Your Horn If You Think These Lights Are ****!"
Does anyone know where I can get a banner made that says "Honk Your Horn If You Think These Lights Are ****!"
Posted by: LJ, Westbrook on 1:06pm Thu 8 May 08
Why spend more money on the lights when the roundabout worked anyway. Perhaps the council should consult with local residents instead of JMP Consultants who obviously didn't take into account Gulliver's World. Now it seems they've been given another chance to get it wrong. All that junction needs is bus lay-bys, a pelican crossing and A ROUNDABOUT!!!
Why spend more money on the lights when the roundabout worked anyway. Perhaps the council should consult with local residents instead of JMP Consultants who obviously didn't take into account Gulliver's World. Now it seems they've been given another chance to get it wrong. All that junction needs is bus lay-bys, a pelican crossing and A ROUNDABOUT!!!
Posted by: LJ, Westbrook on 1:07pm Thu 8 May 08
[quote][bold]Mr Young[/bold] wrote:
Does anyone know where I can get a banner made that says "Honk Your Horn If You Think These Lights Are ****!"[/quote] Everything's do-able.
Mr Young wrote:
Does anyone know where I can get a banner made that says "Honk Your Horn If You Think These Lights Are ****!"
Everything's do-able.
Posted by: Mr Young, Wire on 1:57pm Thu 8 May 08
My banner will cost £700,000... anyone know anyone who would like to chuck that sort of money away?
My banner will cost £700,000... anyone know anyone who would like to chuck that sort of money away?
Posted by: chaddy, callands on 4:05pm Thu 8 May 08
Can someone at JMP Consultants please offer LJ,Westbrook a job !!!!!!
Can someone at JMP Consultants please offer LJ,Westbrook a job !!!!!!
Posted by: mac, woolston on 4:23pm Thu 8 May 08
The plan is for a junction able to cope with traffic fluctuation. I thought the old layout did that, but after "consultation" it was changed. as an aside,cllr bland says the tories want to listen to voters! wonder when they will start.
The plan is for a junction able to cope with traffic fluctuation. I thought the old layout did that, but after "consultation" it was changed. as an aside,cllr bland says the tories want to listen to voters! wonder when they will start.
Posted by: LJ, Westbrook on 10:15am Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]Mr Young[/bold] wrote:
My banner will cost £700,000... anyone know anyone who would like to chuck that sort of money away?[/quote] WBC?
Mr Young wrote:
My banner will cost £700,000... anyone know anyone who would like to chuck that sort of money away?
WBC?
Posted by: Legion, Warrington North on 10:38am Fri 9 May 08
for gods sake, what idiots...PUT THE ROUNDABOUT BACK then quit your jobs you incompetant morons! the contractors who put trafic lights in for this council must laugh their heads off every few weeks.
how much do these lights cost us in tax, cost the environment in energy, wheras a roundabout...NO COSTS ! 47+ sets of traffic lights just at one roundabout on winwick road at LA bowl [bold]FORTY SEVEN !!![/bold]
for gods sake, what idiots...PUT THE ROUNDABOUT BACK then quit your jobs you incompetant morons! the contractors who put trafic lights in for this council must laugh their heads off every few weeks.
how much do these lights cost us in tax, cost the environment in energy, wheras a roundabout...NO COSTS ! 47+ sets of traffic lights just at one roundabout on winwick road at LA bowl
FORTY SEVEN !!! Posted by: leighgsxr, westbrook on 12:39pm Fri 9 May 08
Using the excuse of Gulliver’s world is no excuse what so ever.
Any half wit knows that you do away with traffic lights to put an Island in to ease congestion and not the other way round.
And talking again about half wits they are about to do the very same at the other end of Cromwell avenue with another set of traffic lights. What a bunch of no brainers we have running the council. Why can we have people who know what they are doing, doing the correct jobs, yeah right that would be to easy now, wouldn’t it??
[italic]italic[/italic]
Using the excuse of Gulliver’s world is no excuse what so ever.
Any half wit knows that you do away with traffic lights to put an Island in to ease congestion and not the other way round.
And talking again about half wits they are about to do the very same at the other end of Cromwell avenue with another set of traffic lights. What a bunch of no brainers we have running the council. Why can we have people who know what they are doing, doing the correct jobs, yeah right that would be to easy now, wouldn’t it??
Posted by: leighgsxr, westbrook on 12:42pm Fri 9 May 08
Just think when these Idiots in the council get City statues it will no longer be called warrington we may as well call it either, Flat City or Traffic Light City[italic]italic[/italic] [quote]quote[/quote]
Just think when these Idiots in the council get City statues it will no longer be called warrington we may as well call it either, Flat City or Traffic Light City
quote
Posted by: leighgsxr, westbrook on 12:49pm Fri 9 May 08
Just think when these Idiots in the council get City statues it will no longer be called warrington we may as well call it either, Flat City or Traffic Light City[italic]italic[/italic] [quote]quote[/quote]
Just think when these Idiots in the council get City statues it will no longer be called warrington we may as well call it either, Flat City or Traffic Light City
quote
Posted by: skittles, warrington on 11:03pm Fri 9 May 08
I think Warrington Council are trying to compete with the Blackpool illuminations by putting lights on access roads to shopping centres that remain on even when the shop is shut, housing estates aned even on roundabouts - that cause havoc every peak time - that stay on 24/7! Seems as if the aim of the Council is to have traffic lights on every corner in the town
I think Warrington Council are trying to compete with the Blackpool illuminations by putting lights on access roads to shopping centres that remain on even when the shop is shut, housing estates aned even on roundabouts - that cause havoc every peak time - that stay on 24/7! Seems as if the aim of the Council is to have traffic lights on every corner in the town
Posted by: beach1, Great Sankey on 6:38pm Sun 11 May 08
I think they (WBC) have an idea that if they create more congestion outside of the main centre routes, they will be able to bring in congestion charges to get even more money out of us, so they can spend more on ridiculous traffic schemes.
I think they (WBC) have an idea that if they create more congestion outside of the main centre routes, they will be able to bring in congestion charges to get even more money out of us, so they can spend more on ridiculous traffic schemes.
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