Pictured hard at work this lunchtime are Dan, Leon and Steve from LCC who were putting the finishing touches to a long awaited tidy up of the eyesore that is - or was until today - the Fire Station roundabout.

Our thanks to QLocal regular Colin Draper of Aughton for his timely tip off which saw reporter Roger Blaxall take these exclusive pictures of them at work.

Our West Lancashire councillor Adrian Owens has been on the County’s case since jobsworths denied gardener Chris Bentley the chance to tidy the roundabout free of charge a few weeks ago.

Coun. Owens forwarded this e mail to our busy news desk this afternoon:

Roger,
This was the email I received after we offered Chris Bentley’s help with the grudging step forward in the final line.
Can you please give OWL a mention in any piece you write?
I’ve just written a press release on a closely related matter which is here http://adrianowens.com/news207.html
Adrian

From: Highways District Lead Officer [mailto:highwaysdistrictlead@lancashire.gov.uk]
Sent: 05 September 2017 09:19
To: 'adrian@adrianowens.com'
Subject: Maintenance of Gateway roundabouts

Dear Councillor Owens,
Following on from your enquiry relating to the offer from a landscaper of maintaining the Holburn Hill (sic) roundabout.

The county council are responsible for the way the public highways in Lancashire are maintained and used. We need to be certain that the appropriate materials and workmanship are used for any work and to make sure it is done with safety in mind for all concerned.

Unauthorised companies have left us and residents with problems in the past resulting in us having to put matters right at our expense. With these experiences, we usually take a cautious approach to allowing people to work on our highways but welcome any financial or resource offers subject to approval.

Companies who offer to look after the landscaping on any county council owned roundabout will need to provide public liability insurance for up to the value of £5million.

They will also need to provide a risk assessment and a method statement, including detailed plans with a 3D perspective for planting, and the frequency of maintenance.

Once officers have agreed the proposal, the company will be required to apply on-line for permits relating to traffic management, in which there will be costs involved.

In the meantime, the county council will be maintaining the gateway roundabouts, including the Holburn Hill roundabout, with a works order raised to control the weeds and provide standard landscaping.

Kind regards,

Phil Steed
District Lead Officer
Community Services
Lancashire County Council
T: 0300 123 6780
W: www.lancashire.gov.uk