New speed bumps are not too big, says highways
Speed bumps that a councillor complains are too high and are "scraping" vehicles will not be fixed, highways bosses have said.
Essex Highways had said work to adjust the series of humps in Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, and a discrepancy of 2cm (0.8in), were scheduled for April.
But after a reinspection, the Conservative-run highways authority said there was "no intent to alter" as they met the "standard height".
"They're clearly too high," local Labour councillor Tim Young said.
"People who approach them a bit too quickly are scraping the underneath of their vehicle."
Drivers were having to "crawl to almost a halt to get over them" to avoid damaging their vehicles, he continued.
He said he would "get on to" the councillor responsible for highways and that the bumps had already damaged some vehicles.
The speed cushions had replaced a previous set which had been in place for several years near a primary and secondary school, explained Young.
Essex Highways said engineers visited the road last month to "inspect and accurately measure" the bumps.
"The cushions were recorded as being to the design height of 75mm (3in), which is a standard height within the UK for this type of speed calming measure," a spokesperson said.
"They have been positioned to help reduce speed for the adjacent school entrance.
"As a consequence, there is no intent to alter the current height, although we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the speed cushions at this location, as we do with all new installations of this nature."
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Potholes repaired after line painting mishap
Work under way to fix 'nightmare' speed bumps
More speed bumps set for village roads
Essex Highways
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Faulty M62 bridge joints 'a surprise for everybody'
A National Highways manager has said newly fitted joints on a bridge that turned out to be faulty came as "a surprise for everybody". Drivers have faced more than two years of delays since repairs to the M62 Ouse Bridge, near Goole, started in March 2022. Eight damaged joints that took more than two years to fix now need to be replaced as a "precautionary measure". Phil Jepps, programme delivery manager at National Highways, said it was "difficult to say" when the bridge would be fixed and finally free from repairs. Mr Jepps told BBC Look North: "It's not what [I] or anyone else expected. "The joints were completed in October and in the early hours of the Monday morning a member of the public reported that part of the joint plate had been detached." Mr Jepps said the manufacturer and installer of the joints had visited the site and said it was "something that they've never seen before". "It is quite a surprise for everybody that this has actually happened," he added. He said the issue was being investigated thoroughly and that National Highways was working closely with the principal contractor. Mr Jepps confirmed that National Highways and the taxpayer "won't be footing the bill". The motorway remains open with three lanes but further lane closures will be put in place to ensure all the other joints are fine, he said. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. All new bolts to be replaced on M62 Ouse Bridge 'Substantial delays' likely as bridge joint fails National Highways
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Electric cars and heat pumps making progress, UK climate advisers say
More people are buying electric cars and installing heat pumps than ever before, but those numbers need to increase even further, according to the government's climate advisers. The independent Climate Change Committee said that the government needed to make sure that households benefit from the switch to cleaner technologies through lower bills. "The government has made progress on a number of fronts, including on clean power, [but] they need to do more on making electricity cheap," Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the CCC, told BBC News. In response Energy Secretary Ed Miliband thanked the committee for its advice and said it was committed to bringing down bills. What does net zero mean? Half of homes need heat pump by 2040, government told UK homes install subsidised heat pumps at record level By law, the UK must stop adding to the total amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2050. This is known as "net zero". Reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally is widely seen as essential to limit further warming. Previous political consensus around the UK's target has broken down, however, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branding it "impossible" and Reform using the phrase "net stupid zero". But the committee argues it is achievable and could lead to long-term economic benefits. "[The UK] can absolutely meet net zero by 2050," said Ms Pinchbeck. Greenhouse gas emissions within the UK's borders have already fallen by more than half since 1990. But that's mostly because polluting fossil fuels – particularly coal – have been increasingly replaced with renewable energy like wind and solar for electricity generation. The UK's biggest emitters last year were transport and buildings, which will also need to get cleaner to help reach net zero. The CCC sees signs of progress, including a near doubling of the number of electric cars on UK roads in the past two years. Nearly one-in-five new cars sold in 2024 was electric. This has helped to reduce emissions from transport – not counting planes and ships – for the second year in a row, even though traffic levels rose last year. While new electric cars remain more expensive to buy than their petrol equivalents, the CCC expects them to cost the same in a couple of years. Many second-hand models are already as cheap, and electric cars can be more economical to run too. "We see these transitions happen surprisingly fast once they get going, usually starting slowly and accelerating rapidly, where falling prices and rising demand reinforce each other," said Dr Emily Nurse, the CCC's head of net zero. "When that's combined with effective policy, it really can lead to this rapid change." Sales of electric heat pumps are growing quickly too, up by more than half last year, thanks partly to grants introduced under the Conservatives, the CCC said. But they still remain well below target. The committee also praised the new government's relaxation of planning rules, which it says should encourage more people to install heat pumps. But even after grants, they can be expensive to install and while they are much more efficient than a gas boiler, they are not necessarily cheaper to run. That's because the cost of electricity is so high, something the CCC has repeatedly said needs tackling. The single largest reason for the rise in household electricity prices in recent years is the increase in wholesale costs, driven by international gas prices, the CCC says. "The only way to get bills down for good is by becoming a clean energy superpower and we continue to work tirelessly to deliver clean power for families and businesses," argued Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. But the committee adds that electricity bills are artificially high because charges are added to them to support largely older renewable energy projects – which were more expensive – as well as energy efficiency upgrades. On Monday the government announced plans to remove these costs for some businesses. Removing them from household electricity bills too would be a quick fix to the UK's high prices, making it much cheaper to run an electric car or heat pump, the committee says. But these costs would have to go somewhere, potentially onto general taxation. It would take "about £200 off the average [household] bill but at a cost of about £6bn per year to the Exchequer," said Adam Bell, director of policy at Stonehaven Consultancy and former head of energy strategy at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Additional reporting by Jonah Fisher and Miho Tanaka A simple guide to climate change Four ways climate change worsens extreme weather What you can do to reduce carbon emissions Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Bikers seriously injured after head-on crash
The rider and passenger of a motorcycle have been left seriously injured after their vehicle ended up in a ditch following a head-on crash with a van. North Yorkshire Police said the incident took place at around 11:40 BST on Friday on the A19 South of Escrick towards Hollicarrs. A black Kawasaki motorcycle went into a ditch off the carriageway following the collision with a white Vauxhall Vivaro van, resulting in the bikers being taken to hospital. The scene was closed following the incident with diversions in place, but it reopened just before 16:00 BST. Anyone with any information or dashcam footage is asked to get in touch with police. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. North Yorkshire Police
