A few weeks ago Thames Water sent me a letter saying that they were going to start digging up all round and about in order to replace the ageing water mains. I had read about this and in principle it seems like a jolly good idea.
They wrote notifying of a public exhibition that would be taking place locally - on the Thursday afternoon from 4pm to 7pm. I received the letter on the Tuesday and expressed my view that it was a joke: two days notice of a weekday afternoon event is box ticking, not proper consultation. They did try to argue that it was evening, not afternoon, but I argued that it presupposed everyone finishes work at 5.30 or earlier, which just isn't the case. It also presupposes an absence of prior engagement, which isn't realistic.
Their contractor rung me back and we had a pleasant and constructive conversation. From that, I got assurances that they would not work outside the hours laid down in statute (and, as far as I know, they haven't). He said they wouldn't be touching Gert Cottage Boulevard, but they were, in fact, due to start on the parallel road the next week. the work would take a few days. I felt smug, I was due in Manchester and would therefore miss it.
Five weeks later they are still there, in Parallel-to-Gert-Cottage-Boulevard Road, which is closed except for access, and is largely dug up. Most of the residents are forced into parking their cars elsewhere. I would feel smug, but...oh hell, I do feel smug. Meanwhile, Next-But-One-Road to GCB is also now dug up, putting even more pressure on vehicular traffic and parking. Like I care.
However, the holes, especially in Parallel Road are covered in planks. Not semi-rotten wooden planks, but state-of-the-art metal planks. Every couple of days either Jimmy or I remarks "Sounds like thunder" then giggles self-consciously, remembering that it's the sound of cars driving over the metal planks. This is particularly noticeable in the late evening, night-time and early morning, generally the time that people, whether they are larks or owls, are sleeping. And there is increasing need to leave windows open, so I do feel sorry for people living on Parallel Road, who have endure that noise at much closer quarters...apparently it's acceptable behaviour to create that racket at half one in the morning? Beats me, too!
The Grapevine informs that the delays have been caused by one of the suppliers going bust. Now I have sympathy with the project manager. Can't be paying workers to sit idle, but can't lay off skilled and experienced workers. Result, lots of dug-up roads, presumably waiting for parts, and, presumably, when the parts arrive there will be a massive backlog of roads that need parts fitting and then filling in.
It did make me wonder though, what sort of firm lands a contract to supply Thames Water in this Major Project and then goes bust? I then scolded myself, and asked, have you learned nothing? Classic case of overstretch, probably lack of cash flow. I've seen it so many times. I once audited a file where the Govt. Dept. concerned was paying a massive grant to a Local Authority for some Civil Engineering works. The surveyors report on progress was very negative, and mentioned that the contractors had under-estimated by a massive amount and heads had rolled. But there again, should Thames Water have contracted a supplier with a disproportionate amount of business. I wonder what the impact is on TW, deadlines, cost etc. Not to mention the protracted loss of amenity to road-users. Not that it bothers me, they haven't - yet - dug up any bus routes I use. And I would have thought that over the years Just sinc eI have been here, there have been so many emergency repairs to Brixton Hill it's probably go the most up-to-date water mains in London
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