For Dave, and any other "Pothole geeks" like us... this is interesting from a legal point of view. 😆 (or maybe not..) :-

http://www.potholes.co.uk/advices/view/919/Small_Claims_Or_Not_Do_You_Think

I am really glad you have discovered the CTC now, Kris and Karl - you will not regret joining! I have a family membership! 🙂

As you might know, Dave, it is worth badgering about potholes. The councils take it seriously, because if a pothole has been recorded, and a road user subsequently has problems in that spot, then the council can be proved liable.....We are putting the information out there for the CTC to use for the good of others, as well as trying to get something done about it in the first place.

found this which makes informative reading :-

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/35254/response/87184/attach/2/Cheshire%20East%20Council%20Code%20of%20Practice%20for%20Highway%20Safety%20Inspections%20Version%201.pdf

Informative, Karl! ''

I have used 'fill that pothole' to also mention mud and slurry on the road. I might mention other hazards that require a response within 24 hours too!

.. and whats interesting also is that from what I can see, the "what do they know" website appears to be "Freedom of information" related. This means that if you have any queries on the law and "stautory duties", then under the FOIA, they have a duty to answer your questions. After all, we all pay their wages and they work for all of us....

Hi Karl,

The Times on page 5 today talks about the responsibilities of local councils.

You can see online http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/sitesearch.do?querystring=cyclists&p=tto&pf=all&bl=on

Act now to save cyclists, councils told

Every council in England and Wales should seize the momentum generated by The Times cycle safety campaign and implement measures to save lives and encourage more cyclists onto the roads, the Government has said.
Council leaders should improve road junctions, make greater use of 20mph zones and road-side mirrors, try to win corporate sponsorship for new cycle facilities and appoint a cycling commissioner to oversee the reforms, ministers say.
Norman Baker, Transport Minister, and Mike Penning, Road Safety Minister, have sent a letter to every council leader or chief executive asking them to make the changes. “Cycling has risen up the political agenda in recent weeks, not least due to the excellent campaign run by The Times, and we are keen to seize the moment to make good progress on a number of fronts,” they write.
Council leaders responded that attempts to overhaul roads for cyclists are being hampered by Government spending cuts, however. They are also demanding action on a long-standing request to give local authorities more power to deal with dangerous drivers.
The ministers’ joint letter recommends a number of proposals for improved cycle safety that are set out in the 8-point manifesto of the Cities fit for cycling campaign. The campaign was launched after a Times reporter, Mary Bowers, was hit by a lorry while cycling to work. She is still not conscious more than three months after the collision.
Last week 77 MPs from the three main parties attended a Parliamentary debate called to discuss the campaign, and suggest further ways of improving cycle safety.
In the letter, the ministers say: “We would especially encourage you to review your provision for cyclists at junctions as poorly designed facilities here can cause particular safety problems,” they write. “You may wish to consider more sponsorship of cycle infrastructure, along the lines of the Barclays hire bikes and cycle superhighways in London, which might permit the development of routes and facilities otherwise unachievable.”
The letter also urges increased training of adult cyclists and lorry drivers. It recommends greater use of 20mph zones and Trixi mirrors which can be attached to traffic lights to give drivers a better view of cyclists hidden in their blind spots.
Concrete mixers, tipper trucks and skip lorries pose a particular hazard to cyclists as drivers can see very little inside a danger-zone extending 2 metres around the vehicles.
The ministers recommend that councils appoint a senior official responsible for cycle provision. “Whilst the decision whether or not to establish a cycling commissioner is of course one for local authorities, we would certainly encourage you to consider this,” their letter says.
Councillor Peter Box, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Economy and Transport Board, said that local authorities were trying to promote and improve cycling. “However, they have been maintaining a chronically underfunded road system for many years which, coupled with the recent severe funding cuts from central government, means resources for a vast overhaul of junction layouts and speed limit alterations are extremely stretched at the moment.” Local authorities’ roads maintenance budgets have been cut by 20 per cent, or £164 million, this Parliament.
Council leaders are invited to a meeting with Mr Baker and the Mayor of London’s cycling adviser, Kulveer Ranger, on March 13 to discuss ways of “creating a national cycle revolution”.
“We would urge you to consider carefully how the points raised by The Times’s campaign can be taken forward in your local communities, and would be pleased to hear of your work, and particularly any new initiatives, in this important area,” Mr Baker said.

ive had mixed results with "fill that hole". i reported a couple of pothole last year . one in whatcroft and one in lach dennis. i got a reply the next day saying they had been fixed. no work had been carried out at either site. so i reported them again . same reply . no work done at site. the third time i also said that there had been injury/damage caused by the pothole. that seemed to do the trick and they were fixed , although not very well. last week i reported a hole at the end of my road .it was fixed the next day. regarding cyclist training , it`s not just for school kid. bikeability training is open to everyone , but only funded for year 5/6 kids. maybe any driver found guilty of dangerous driving involving a cyclist should be made to take the bikeability couse at there own expense. i teach this in schools in east cheshire , stoke and staffordshire and most drivers are ok . but you do see some right idiots driving even around the kids .

Dave is a regular contributor to "Fill that Hole" as it infuriates him whilst out training the state of the roads around cheshire, as he is constantly aware of having to dodge holes and putting himself at the mercy of other road users by swerving at the last minute to avoid having an accident and possibly causing one!. Just to let everyone know you can also report a road fault on the Cheshire West and Chester Council website, you can find it under Parking, Roads and Travel, Road Maintenance, Report a Fault, there is also a map that you can pinpoint with a flag where the problem is located. I have used this one quite a bit lately as the roads I travel to and from work are covered in holes and thick mud from farm vehicles.
If we all report any faults that we find, as every little helps to get the ball rolling to improve our roads to make cycling more enjoyable and a whole lot safer.

Caroline.

Dear Reader

Since launching The Times Cities fit for Cycling campaign, thousands of you have told us about cycling hazards in your area.

Now we're giving you a chance to help to get them changed.

We've created a map that allows you to pinpoint the exact junction, set of traffic lights, pothole or stretch of road that you would like to be improved.

All you have to do is go through to this page thetimes.co.uk/cyclesafe and follow the five simple steps.

The plan is to make this data available to local councils to help them to identify areas where they can improve and get more cyclists onto the roads.

Thank you once again for your continued support of The Times Cities fit for Cycling campaign – we could not have got this far without your help.

We hope we can count on your support once again.

sorry Claire, I must be REALLY thick... 🙄
I've checked out page, but can't see where this feature actually is, or the 5 steps ??

help ? 😥

Karl
I tried it - put www. in front of Claire's link and site came up - but linked to the following URL:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/contact/
Looks a great idea if the relevant people take note of the feedback they get

ps need to zoom in to general area and symbol appears when you double click - you then drag symbol around to position it - from then on it seems more obvious

Ive just used this :-

http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/cheshirecc.interactivemapping.web.internet/Default.aspx?region=1

I submitted 5 separate reports, I got a phone call 1 hour later, so it seems to work...

I have written a summary of the feedback by WVCC members for the meeting with Graham Evans, M.P. tomorrow. If you would like a copy, please e-mail your request to me! ':D'

We met with Graham Evans, M.P. last night. Also present was CWaC Cllr. Les Ford, who made a significant contribution to the discussion.

Thank you to Derek Heine, Dave Wright, and Dave Fearon for giving up their time to accompany me to the meeting last night, and who each made a big contribution to the debate. Thank you also to everyone who made suggestions, or gave us their support. As Graham Evans said, it is the first stride or turn of the wheel that is the hardest! We made a terrific start and we did our bit locally to support the national campaigns by the CTC and the Times!

We talked about potholes and investment in the roads, especially in the Northwich area. We talked about the comparison between Northwich and Chester, where cycle paths and cycle routes are well signposted and maintained. We talked about the Northwich gyratory one-way system, which has made a difficult route for cyclists, even more difficult.

We talked about the importance of meaningful cycle routes with coloured tarmac, about signage, and lockable bike storage, as in Chester.

Road rage, accidents and deliberate incidents were also discussed, including the weak penalties for offenders. We talked about changing attitudes, responsible cyclist behaviour, and obtaining a critical mass on the road. The Councillor, and M.P. were visibly shocked to learn more about the road violence to Derek Heine and Nigel Wood.

The conclusion to the meeting was a suggestion that members of the WVCC map out the cycle routes and infrastructure that they would like to see in the CWAC 'Northwich Vision' for 2014. We were encouraged to contact the Highways Agency and other organisations charged with developing and implementing this plan. Mr Evans suggested that we create something along the lines of a 10 -point plan and present this to him at Westminster in the summer recess. This will be a great opportunity to publicize our ideas, and to gain his support for them.

I suggested that Mr Evans might like to come to the Ice-cream Farm for the Guide Dogs for the Blind sponsored ride, as it is a lovely family day! (I hope that this is alright with you, Alan?)

I feel that the time has come to be more visible, to gain support and acceptance from our community, and to contribute to it. Mr Evans appeared to identify strongly with this, and to link it into the Government's ideas on a 'big society.'

The next step might be to create a small group of members willing to take on the work of mapping the routes we would like to see developed and maintained, and to seek the thoughts of all members. Dave Fearon in particular had ideas that he would like to see implemented. Therefore, until we have something a little more concrete, any ideas could be added to the forum or emailed to Dave. ( I hope that it alright, Dave?). If anyone has experience in this area, then please let us know.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please do not hesitate to contact me, the two Daves or Derek!

Thanks

Claire

Hello Claire, Great time and effort you've put into this meeting,regarding Graham's attendance to our Guide dogs day Brilliant he his more than welcome to come along with his family also if any of them ride a bike they can ride with us.
ALAN S