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Oakley Green, Fifield and District Community Association Ltd |
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Environment - Wet Spot 4 - The Coningsby Lane Shambles |
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| Environment | |
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| Drainage | |
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| Phoenix | |
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Drainage update 26 - 26.04.2019 - Wet Spot 4 - The Coningsby Lane Shambles | ||
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When I wrote the report for Drainage update 25 I had been so worn down by inertia and despair at being unable for so long to get any response from RBWM that I had arrived at a very cynical and pessimistic frame of mind. But thankfully things have improved considerably since then. On Friday Feb 8 we had another meeting at the Town Hall with the relevant Officers and the most useful and positive leap forward is that a project manager has now been appointed. This has made an amazing difference and responses and replies are now forthcoming in only one or two working days rather than having to repeatedly make the same enquiry for two or three months with no response. At the meeting we learned that the Levels Survey had been done and the proposed route was viable. A site meeting took place on Friday Feb 15. Attending this meeting were RBWM Highways Officer Ms Susan Fox, newly appointed project manager Michael Llewelyn, the Project Centre Engineer responsible for this undertaking, a Tree expert, two Eco experts, and our Ward Councillor David Coppinger. One or two adjustments to the detail of the planned route were requested by the Tree expert and the Eco expert proclaimed that no Badger sets are threatened. However, they decided that a pond on the south side of Coningsby Lane is near enough to need to be investigated for Newt DNA. It may be that results from this might require a licence to be applied for in which case the implementation of the plan will be delayed till well into the summer. If that transpires it will fall within nesting restrictions but the only overhanging growth likely to be disturbed by the work has already been pruned so as not to delay the start even more. The Eco survey we had been informed was necessary has been scheduled by GS Ecology for mid-April. Subject to the results of the DNA tests a provisional 5-day road closure request has been submitted for June 2019 to lay the culvert pipe across the lane. Work is proceeding to schedule a temporary closure and diversion of Route 41 for later in the summer. A further catch-up meeting at the Town Hall is proposed for early May. Feeling guardedly optimistic again! Rod Lord - ex OGAFCA Environment |
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