PLEASE OBJECT NOW - Grayshott BOAT 13 Temporary Closure

[stevent]

All

Well I've been beavering away on my little project to expose Hampshire's unprecedented policy of perpetually extending Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and I'm pleased to say I've uncovered a GOLDEN NUGGET of information which should help considerably, when the time is right. (All will be revealed....!)

Anyway I've also discovered that when the council writes to the Department for Transport to seek Secretary of State authorisation to extend a Temporary TRO, they have to report whether there have been any objections to the current order. (I didn't know they had to do this).

The Temporary closure of Grayshott BOAT 13 is due to expire on 11 May 2015 and HCC must get authorisation to extend it again. So if we want to see this route reopen we all need to object to the current order or any extension of it, as this gets taken into account.

PLEASE EMAIL: [email protected] with your name and address, and express your objection to the existing or any extension of the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order on Grayshott BOAT 13. Ask for an acknowledgement. You can add your reasons why you object, you can add as much or as little, just keep it polite. Please also reply to this thread so we can see when a good number of objections have been put in.

Reasons might include the following but put these into your own words:
• The route overall is in good condition and it has not been demonstrated that it can not sustain occasional motorcycle use
• The route has been closed since October 2013 so there has been plenty of time for works to be completed
• An adjacent landowner has sought to have this route closed for his own personal reasons, which should not be a legitimate consideration
• HCC have duties to protect public rights as set out in the Highways Act 1980, and are failing in this duty by perpetually extending this temporary closure
• HCC policy on TROs states it will seek the least restrictive option, it has failed to do so as it has not minimised the duration nor exempted motorcycles nor considered a one way restriction
• HCC have installed permanent looking steel gating at significant expense which suggests they are not seeking to reopen the route anytime soon

Can we get as many objections in please! Should only take a few moments

If you want to look into this further....

The route in question is this one: http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=485977 ... &A=Y&Z=115
The current Order can be found here: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/pnadetail?noticeUID=2827 (another anomaly as it says 22 April 15 for 12 months, but the order has formally been signed off until 11 May 2015).
The musings of the adjacent landowner (who threatens to use his shotgun on anyone passing in high vis) and a local Councillor, can be found here: http://www.grayshott.com/wordpress/grou ... s-at-last/
and here: http://www.grayshott.com/wordpress/grou ... e=2&num=15
If you want to write in with your objection instead of emailing then the address is here: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/row.htm

For those who haven't had much experience of this stuff. We have prevailed on all the rights of way campaigns that I've been a part of..... so don't even start to think we wont get anywhere

Thanks

Steven

[big yellow tractor]

Done !!

Took me about 20 minutes to put an email together that "wos ritten in me own words, innit"

I have posted this on Southern's forum

Update

Got a (possibly auto) reply

"Thank you for contacting Hampshire County Council.

I have passed your enquiry onto the Countryside Headquarters. A member of the Countryside Team will contact you in due course"

[trickey]

Objection sent today, let's hope more members also object as Steven has obviously spent a lot of time on this and it benefits us all.

[GDAS]

Done. Received the following response:

Thank you for your email regarding the temporary closure on Grayshott BOAT 13. The extension to the closure has been granted by the Secretary of State to run until 11 May 2015. The inconsistency is due to the notice being prepared before the extension was granted, and the date given by the Secretary of State different from the original end date. I am sorry that this was not picked up before the extension notice was published.

Please note that the works to repair the route are scheduled into our work programme, to take place within the next 3-6 months. Once these works are completed, we intend to reopen the route to all users. Your objection has been noted.

[langley beta]

Done

[mudeevee]

Done

[markwyman]

Done

[mudeevee]

HCC Acknowledged email this morning

[Faisal]

Done - got this repsone re when it will opened:

Dear Mr Nasir

Thank you for your email regarding the temporary closure of Grayshott BOAT 13.

The repair works to the surface of the route are now programmed into our work schedule, and we anticipate that the works will be completed within the next 3-6 months. As soon as the works are finished, we intend to reopen the route to all users.

In the meantime, your comments have been noted.

Kind regards

Ms Rohan Seeliger-Morley
Administrative Officer (Order Making)
Countryside Access Team, Countryside Service
Hampshire County Council, Castle Avenue, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8UL
Telephone: 01962 846981
http://www.hants.gov.uk/countryside
Find us on Facebook

[markwyman]

Yeah, I got this reply...

Dear Mr Wyman

Thank you for your email regarding the temporary closure of Grayshott BOAT 13.

The works to repair the route are scheduled into our work programme, to take place within the next 3-6 months. Once these works are completed, we intend to reopen the route to all users. In the meantime, a substantial gate has been put in place to prevent illegal use by motorised vehicles, which has continued throughout the period of closure. In combination with the poor weather last winter, this has exacerbated the damage to the surface of the route.

Your comments have been noted and will be kept on file.

Kind regards

Ms Rohan Seeliger-Morley
Administrative Officer (Order Making)
Countryside Access Team, Countryside Service
Hampshire County Council, Castle Avenue, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8UL
Telephone: 01962 846981

[trickey]

Same as



























Dear Mr Stevens



Thank you for your email regarding the temporary closure of Grayshott BOAT 13.



The route was temporarily closed to allow us to carry out remedial works to prevent further damage to the surface of Grayshott BOAT 13. Unfortunately, the poor weather last winter, and on-going illegal use during the initial period of closure, have resulted in further damage to the route. The repair work is now programmed to take place in the next 6 months, and once the work is completed we intend to reopen the route to all users.



Kind regards



Ms Rohan Seeliger-Morley
Administrative Officer (Order Making)
Countryside Access Team, Countryside Service
Hampshire County Council, Castle Avenue, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8UL
Telephone: 01962 846981
http://www.hants.gov.uk/countryside
Find us on Facebook

[stevent]

Hi guys

Just a bit of history. I wrote to Hampshire County Council on 1 October 2014, I asked, "What is the current status of the Temporary TRO and the associated works and is there any plan to open this route before 22 April 2015?". I got no reply, I wrote again on 19 November, and on 21 November 2014, I got this reply in relation to Grayshott BOAT 13:

"I am about to issue a mini-competition tender to contractors for work to be undertaken on Grayshott 13, Worldham 40 and Selborne 67. The funding for this needs to be spent by March 2015 so I’m planning on work starting on site some time in Feb 2015. All 3 routes will be closed during the implementation of the works and we will implement a staggered opening afterwards."

So March 2015 has been and gone and the works haven't happened as far as I can see, so, are we to believe the works are going to happen in the next 3 to 6 months? Especially given the other route I am concerned about, where there has been local pressure, Wield 17, has been closed since 2012.

So what is our next step?

1. Given the current closure finishes in 4 weeks, and "3-6 months" is pretty vague still, my suggestion is that we suggest that an additional 4 weeks should be sufficient to commission the works, and it seems reasonable that the works be completed by 8 June 2015. So if you have received a reply, my suggestion is that you write back with something along these lines.

2. Also given it is clear they are looking to extend the closure for up to 6 months, taking the closure to 2 years in total, I'd suggest also writing to the National Transport Casework Team. This team is responsible for authorising the extensions. Suggest you object to the current closure and any further extension beyond 8 June. Their email address is: [email protected]. You can read more about them here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/na ... ework-team. The relevant bit is this:

Section 14 – temporary traffic regulation orders
Local highway authorities can make these orders on highways in their area to temporarily prevent or restrict traffic in specified situations. The orders are mainly used when:

works are going to take place on or next to the highway
there is a likely danger to public
there is the possibility of serious damage to the highway
The maximum time limit an order can be made for is 18 months for an all-purpose highway and 6 months for a footpath, bridleway, cycle track or byway.

The authority will need to apply to the Secretary of State for Transport to extend the period of the order beyond the period it was originally made for. They need to provide their reasons, the period of extension and give plans for restoring the highway or any plans for permanently changing the use of the highway.

Requests for extensions to road traffic regulation orders must be received at least 2 weeks before the authorisation is required. The Secretary of State for Transport is unable to authorise an extension to an order if it has already expired.