 |
| Artist's impression of how a Bailey Bridge might look across the Teme. |
Tenbury Futures have been double-checking some sums offered-up by Richard Attwood, Worcester County Council's Engineering Project Manager in charge of the Teme Bridge closure and works. Mr Attwood recently confirmed that the idea of a temporary supporting Bailey Bridge for the duration of the Teme bridge closure [a period of months] was effectively more than WCC were prepared to pay. Adding salt to the wound though, WCC have provided a full report explaining their logic with new bridge works in Evesham but not for our town. It would seem on the surface that Tenbury doesn't warrant the same treatment or attention to detail with 6 months of Teme bridge closure visited upon us as a fait accompli.
Mr Richard Attwood said:
"I believe there is an assertion that a Bailey Bridge could be provided economically [across the River Teme] based upon the experiences of 2009 in Cumbria. The reality of this is that the Cumbrian site was more rural and the hinterland around was reasonably flat with a shallower river channel which made the provision much easier. Nevertheless, the cost I am led to believe was in the order of £4M..."
Some Quick Homework...
And yet a quick check on Bailey Bridge suppliers reveals the company 'Beaver Bridges' based 40 minutes drive north of Tenbury in Church Stretton. We took the liberty of contacting Beaver Bridges and asked them for a quote on a temporary Bailey-type bridge of a length suitable for a Teme crossing. To our surprise, a Bailey Bridge of this scale cost a fraction of Mr Attwood's £4 million estimate. A bridge of this nature would not only provide vehicle access to the town while Teme bridge closure and works were ongoing but also provide full access to the town for fire engines based in Burford and alternatively full police cover for Burford.
In fact for a period of 7 months [much longer than Mr Attwood expects the Teme Bridge to be closed] the cost of installation, hire, maintenance and deconstruction was £210,000.
Extract from Beaver Bridges Quote, Monday Sept 5th 2011:
And yet a quick check on Bailey Bridge suppliers reveals the company 'Beaver Bridges' based 40 minutes drive north of Tenbury in Church Stretton. We took the liberty of contacting Beaver Bridges and asked them for a quote on a temporary Bailey-type bridge of a length suitable for a Teme crossing. To our surprise, a Bailey Bridge of this scale cost a fraction of Mr Attwood's £4 million estimate. A bridge of this nature would not only provide vehicle access to the town while Teme bridge closure and works were ongoing but also provide full access to the town for fire engines based in Burford and alternatively full police cover for Burford.
In fact for a period of 7 months [much longer than Mr Attwood expects the Teme Bridge to be closed] the cost of installation, hire, maintenance and deconstruction was £210,000.
Extract from Beaver Bridges Quote, Monday Sept 5th 2011:
Required on site:..................... December 2011
1) Specifications
a) 45.8m long x 4.2m Wide x 40/44te capacity modular bridge
b) All steel construction c/w steel Durbar deck plate.
c) Simple (non-compliant) pedestrian parapet restraints.
d) Bridge unit weighs (undecked) – 39 tonnes
e) Bridge unit weighs (decked) – 65 tonnes
2) Financials
a) Weekly Hire rate – £5,550+VAT
b) Transport to site - £9,000 + VAT
c) Erection on site – £12,000 + VAT
d) Dismantle on site – £12,000 + VAT
e) Return to depot – £9,000 + VAT
3) Client to provide
a) Suitable crane to unload and install the bridge and to carry out the reverse operation
b) Suitable access equipment – as necessary to carry out the bridge installation.
[We are awaiting an additional quote to cover these latter areas which we will add when one is sent].
Evesham's Temporary Bailey Bridge
Evesham is currently having similar issues with one of their bridges (note that their bridge, although a major route for the town, does not provide the only crossing of the river in the way that the Teme Bridge does for Tenbury). There is a full report on the Worcestershire County Council website about the problems with the Evesham bridge, the options that have been considered, the pros and cons of each option, and information about consultation with the local community.
Evesham is currently having similar issues with one of their bridges (note that their bridge, although a major route for the town, does not provide the only crossing of the river in the way that the Teme Bridge does for Tenbury). There is a full report on the Worcestershire County Council website about the problems with the Evesham bridge, the options that have been considered, the pros and cons of each option, and information about consultation with the local community.
There is no such information concerning the Teme Bridge, and if any report exists it has not been made public. Indeed.. could it be said that there is no documentation for Tenbury because WCC hasn't really carried-out an effective consultation on this locally? Is there simply little or no content to create such a document? In terms of local shop keepers, all they have apparently had is questions and short conversations about deliveries AFTER the bridge closes. It would seem from the Tenbury Futures questionnaire in the previous post that discussion of what options are available to keep the high street as vibrant as possible during this closure - [or even whether the bridge needs to fully close as per the traffic lights and 7.5tonne weight limit on the 'A' road over the Holt Bridge] have clearly not been explored in consultation locally.
In summary:
Evesham gets a Bailey Bridge to ensure full traffic flow during it's bridge works and a full report justifying this work. Tenbury to date has been told the bridge closure will last for 'a number of months'. No exact figures have been provided and no report has been made public.
WCC claim:
Temporary Teme Bailey Bridge for 3 or so months to cost in the region of:
£4 Million
Tenbury Futures' Bailey Bridge Quote for 7 months:
£210,000
That's a difference of nearly £3.8 million pounds.
Come on Mr Attwood, please give Tenbury the time of day, we're taking this seriously even if you're not..
Evesham gets a Bailey Bridge to ensure full traffic flow during it's bridge works and a full report justifying this work. Tenbury to date has been told the bridge closure will last for 'a number of months'. No exact figures have been provided and no report has been made public.
WCC claim:
Temporary Teme Bailey Bridge for 3 or so months to cost in the region of:
£4 Million
Tenbury Futures' Bailey Bridge Quote for 7 months:
£210,000
That's a difference of nearly £3.8 million pounds.
Come on Mr Attwood, please give Tenbury the time of day, we're taking this seriously even if you're not..
How about two Bailey bridges one in and one out and WCC would still save pot loads of money.
ReplyDeleteIt's clear that WCC haven't really done the maths re possible temporary Bailey bridges. One at least is achievable and would be better than just closing the Teme bridge to all but pedestrians. None of these opportunities seem to have been discussed with local shopkeepers and businesses though..
ReplyDeleteThere is the small matter that your proposed route crosses private land. Is there an equivalent compulsory rent of land like there is compulsory purchase? Also don't you need to cost in the temporary road, and creating temporary junctions as the turn at the fire station (new & old) is too tight.
ReplyDeleteBetter a short term tight junction and some managed traffic flow than no traffic flow at all for months into Teme St (or the trade that comes with some of it)..
ReplyDelete@WR15 - valid points, but i cannot see the costs amounting to anything close to £3million....WCC are yet to publish a budget for the proposed works so it is difficult to know what they have included in their costs, the £4million estimate may be woefully inadequate (as someone who lives in a listed building I can vouch that a simple small job often turns into a major venture) - i would like to see the contingency budget demostrating WCC have sufficiently provisioned for bad weather and delays- i have been assured by Mr Attwood that concrete can be poured in zub zero conditions by simply including some additives and encapsulating the bridge.....My main fear is WCC are "fobbing us off" - why is there not a published detailed article for the Teme St bridge works similar to that done for the bridge in Evesham?
ReplyDelete"....don't you need to cost in the temporary road, and creating temporary junctions as the turn at the fire station (new & old) is too tight."
ReplyDeleteYou don't need a temporary road or new junctions. Graded chippings would be fine on the market site. There is already a junction at the A456 end. The junction onto Teme St was approved as suitable for two HGVs as part of Tesco's application. A compulsory deal shouldn't be needed as the site owner would probably accept a fair offer.
If I have read the Tesco application correctly, the junction with Teme Street has been approved as suitable for an HGV to turn right (out of the site) at the same time as a car turns in, but not for two HGVs to pass or turn left out of the site.
ReplyDeleteLove it.
ReplyDeleteI know TF's only care about retailers but as a towns member who has to cross the bridge every other day the councils proposals are a joke, I can see me having to miss many days of work due not being able to get out of town....
So all that's needed is permission and a price to cost several pieces of private land and a price for insurance for the temp section of road and bridge.
If you were at this evening's WCC Q+A session then you'll have witnessed the strength of feeling from townspeople about the imposed closure of the Teme bridge.. From where we were sitting it seemed to descend into an unruly 'bunfight' with neither party able to clearly explain their thoughts/concerns..
ReplyDeleteInteresting too that the private bridge over the Teme a bit further up [that the Fire Service were negociating use of] IS a Bailey Bridge, was put up in the 1950's by the Army and for the princely sum of £14k. So Bailey Bridge's on the Teme are clearly possible..
Some individuals there were woefully out of touch though. Including County Clr Ken Pollock [Con] who claimed at the end that "Tesco aren't planning to bring 44 tonne vehicles over the Teme bridge" when of course they will - if not initially then definitely in the medium term. In fact I think they expressed that aspiration in their delivery documentation either last time or this latest one..
We are now looking into a full feasibility study for a Bailey Bridge on the River Teme between the Fire Station, across the Cattle Market and into Teme St. Such a plan would need careful traffic management during the months [now almost certainly 6 months] of closure and could only really be single span with traffic lights etc..
ReplyDeleteThe Tescos application indicates that vehicles no longer than 14.25 metres will deliver to their Cattle Market shop, against a maximum permitted length of 16.5 metres. Such a smaller vehicle of 4 axles will be legally limited in weight to 38 tonnes but on grocery delvieries the actual maxuimum weight will be significantly lower than that.
ReplyDeleteThe talk of 44 tonne lorries is neither accurate or helpful in estimating the impact of the Tescos store, should it be approved.
Economies of scale will inevitably take over Ken and Tesco will eventually use whatever trucks they see as financially viable. It's very similar to Tesco Ludlow committing to deliveries within key time windows. Most of the employees there have witnessed these commitments being broken by both Tesco's own delivery vehicles and certainly by third party HGV's such as 'Wiseman Milk' etc.
ReplyDeleteSo with ref to the documentation - it's worth just noting:
a. That the commitment is 'at this stage' - ie it could be changed tomorrow; and
b. It is for Tesco branded lorries only
Relying on this sort of statement is akin to a toddler agreeing not to soil it's nappy; it's a commitment of the moment, not forever (or even for this year) and the likelyhood is that it will change as Tesco feel like it.
What about the construction traffic if Tesco get permission to build? O wait a minute it looks as they will have to use the back roads for the first 4-5 months of the construction, and for the more clued up this is when the heavy machinery for excavations and concrete pumping is brought to site, and spoil is taken away - o and concrete mixers, and structural steel, which will need a large (50T +) crane - all the heavy stuff...
ReplyDeleteBut i have been assured that WCC has engineers so everything to do with the bridge works will be fine.....like using additives to concrete so they can pour it in cold weather so there won't be an extension to the duration, really....not what was said at the public meeting - o and weren't we assured that the contractors would have to work extended hours and weekends....all of it for the press only.....stand up those who spouted this and be counted...deliver or fall on your swords - WCC you are messing with peoples livlihoods - with no, absolutely none whatsoever penalty for failing.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Pi55 poor preperation provides pi55 poor performance.......
When are the next elections for the County Council? I suggest any one but the current incumbant may have a chance next time....Tenbury High 6th form would have been able to plan and execute the bridge works better than WCC (Worthless Conservative Chamber)...
ReplyDeleteI call for Cllr Pollock to resign.....
"A promise to grit the diversions...."
ReplyDeleteI struggled last year on the main roads, they don't (imho) stand a chance in keeping the back lanes open if we have snow again.
"A car park on the north side of the river...."
So if my car gets stolen or damaged will the council pay the increased (double) on my insurance excess for parking my vehicle away from my house?????
I highly doubt it, sure low crime area, hmmm anyone else remember what happened to the 4x4s displayed at the swan garage???????
This was a big worry at the WCC high school meet Mr Beard..
ReplyDeleteWCC seemed unsure when people started asking questions about the car park such as: How many spaces will there be? Will it be pay and display? If not will there be a maximum stay time? The idea's there, the detailed planning doesn't seem to be..
Having said that, WCC seemed unsure about most things that night.. Mmmnn.
I note my earlier post has been published. Apologies for not noticing it. My criticism was unjustified.
ReplyDeleteDespite that error, I'm not very impressed with the post calling for me to resign on the basis that the Tenbury High 6th form could do a better job of designing a bridge. Obviously someone with a deep knowledge of the area. Tenbury High does not have a 6th form! Sort of thing I noticed 5 years ago when I became a governor there...
Mr Pollock.
ReplyDelete[Moderated]
Tenbury has seen little from WCC over the past 10 or so years, including post floods, so please let me know why when the critcal link into the town needs refurbing it is being done in what appears to many as such a haphazard, poorly thought out manner. I was unable to make the high school meeting - it was the belief of many that WCC would provide answers to many of the questions pertaining to the bridge - it appears as little, if any new infomation was given - even a firm start date. There are even suggestions that the conduct of the councillors was below what one would expect - dare i suggest a number were witnessed laughing at some of the concerns raised...
If the Bridge works do turn into a huge muddle do you intend to stand for re-election, or will you fall on your sword?
[Moderated].