Footpaths FAQs

1. You have stopped me parking on my drive / outside my property whilst you are carrying out works in my street. Why is this?

When we carry out footway and carriageway improvements it is sometimes necessary to restrict the crossing of the footpath by vehicles. We will minimise this period as much as possible but it is a necessary requirement of the works. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused during this time.

2. The works which have been carried out in my street are of a poor standard, what are you going to do to ensure that they are improved?

All of our works are carried out to a contract performance standard. We carry out our own series of checks to make sure that these are met and the council employs an independent certifier who polices the work that we do. If any works have failed these tests they will be rectified.

3. The footway outside my house has been changed and is now at a different level, what will happen about the trip it has created ?

When we adjust footways and there is a change of level, we carry out limited accommodation works to private forecourts to remove any trips. The supervisor on site makes a judgement on what is required and there is an audit carried out by an independent certifier to ensure that we are complying with the contract requirements.

4. My vehicle crossing was only replaced recently. You are now going to replace it again. Isn’t this a waste of money?

The footway replacement programme has an engineering design life of 25 years, which exceeds the previous standard of crossings. This is the basis on which we are replacing all crossings as we carry out the footway reconstruction programme.

5. You did some work in my street recently and it took longer than I would have expected.

Due to circumstances such as weather, the works may be subject to delay or postponed. We will always try and notify residents if there are advance changes to the dates. Our ticker feed at the top of this page contains daily updates of our works, including delays.

6. I have received a letter advising me that you will be working in my street and I wanted you to know that there is a defect which needs doing while you are there.

Please let us know by submitting an enquiry through our Contact page. We appreciate you making us aware, and will include it in our assessment of the works that we need to do.

7. I have received a letter informing me that you are going to be carrying out work on my road. I am disabled or I require 24/7 access to my property. What can you do to help me?

Please submit a form on the Contact page on our website. We will arrange for a member of the crew to contact you on the day before the works are due to commence to discuss the works and how we can assist you. Safety of our staff and members of the public is paramount so there will be times when for health and safety reasons you may be asked to wait while the operatives make the areas safe for the residents to gain access to their property. But, please be assured that our operatives will do all they can to assist where needed.

8. My property has been damaged by your team working in my street. Who do I contact about it?

Please contact us through the web enquiry form on the Contact page and we will investigate further.

9. I have received several letters advising me of different dates for the works in my street, it is confusing.

We have a substantial programme of works being carried out in the borough which is subject to change. This can be caused by different factors including weather, vehicle breakdowns and third party delays. When this happens we endeavour to notify residents on each occasion and we therefore advise that you take note of the most recent communication and any notices placed in the street.

10. The paving slabs which have been replaced on the footpath look lovely except where tarmac has been laid around the tree bases. This doesn’t look nice, why is this?

It is our aim to construct the footpaths in the borough in a manner that allows trees to prosper in a maintained fashion. We also aim to create a footpath that requires minimal maintenance and therefore less disruption to residents. Due to the size of some trees and their complex root structure, we have had to investigate an appropriate engineering solution. After consultation with arboriculturalists and engineers for a solution to encompass the whole street environment, an asphalt area around the tree has been chosen as the optimum solution. This protects the structural integrity of the roots and allows them to rise when growing.

Asphalt is flexible, does not crack or create trip hazards as easily as slabs, and is therefore the safest and most effective solution.

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