Oakmount Road - Don't Know Where; Don't Know When

Work is taking place at the bottom of Oakmount Road south of Oakmount Avenue this morning.

Presumably the heavy rain yesterday stopped the work so it has continued this morning. There is a diversion through Oakmount Avenue and Ford Avenue to Leigh Road.  

There is a warning sign at the junction of Constantine Road and Oakmount Road to warn of the closure ahead.

Hampshire County Council says that, although what signs there are clearly state that the whole of the road will be closed between 9.30am and 4.30pm for the five days this week, they have no idea where or when various sections of the road will be closed. "Any sections open will be a bonus."  County Councillor Colin Davidovitz will therefore look into the matter and advise as soon as possible.  He will ask the contractors, Amey, to provide adequate signage and to say when and where the various sections of the road will be closed.

Oakmount Road

This shows a tiny notice at the junction of Bodycoats Road that gives information about the road closure.  However, it can only be read by pedestrians and is not visible to motorists, which is why we failed to see it although driving in and out of this road very regularly.  There is also one in Hillcrest Avenue but nothing in Oakmount Avenue and I couldn't see anything in Carisbrooke Crescent or Beresford Road while passing.

The council has failed to contact me so I still have absolutely no idea how they are going to proceed with these roadworks.  It is a complete shambles and the rain today has only made matters worse.

Oakmount Road Update!!!

At 9.30 this morning Oakmount Road appeared to be open as usual so I phoned the Council - Hampshire Highways - on 0300 555 1388 and was unable to get through to the people who are dealing with these roadworks, so I left my contact details so they could return my call.  They gave the Reference 21142287. 

Later, we had to go into Eastleigh to do some shopping and were confronted with this at the junction with Oakmount Avenue:

However, when we returned home it was raining and the road was open as usual and the Highways Department still haven't returned my call.

It would have helped if the Council had stated that they were intending to repair the road in segments and explain which parts would be closed and when.

Oakmount Road, Chandler's Ford Closure

Oakmount Road to be closed in its entirety from tomorrow

We have just discovered that Oakmount Road, Chandler's Ford is to be closed from tomorrow - Monday 16th February until Friday 20th February during the times specified above.

We have driven past this sign near the bottom of Oakmount Road and two others quite a few times but the only way I was able to discover what was on it was to park in front of it.  There are no signs on roads at their junctions with Oakmount Road, such as Hillcrest Avenue and Bodycoats Road, advising of this closure.  Thus I fear that many residents will be totally unaware that Oakmount Road will be closed.

This is what the Liberal Democrat run council says hidden away on its website:

BOROUGH OF EASTLEIGH 

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14 

TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF OAKMOUNT ROAD, CHANDLERS FORD 

By arrangements made under section 19 of the Local Government Act 2000 

with Hampshire County Council, notice is hereby given that Eastleigh Borough 

Council proposes to make a temporary closure order pursuant to the 

legislation above as the Council is satisfied that traffic on the road(s) below 

should be restricted because works are proposed to be executed on or near 

the road, the effect of which is detailed below.

Roads to be Closed:  (There is only one road to be closed)

Oakmount Road, from its junction with Leigh Road to its junction with 

Winchester Road 

Alternative Route: 

Leigh Road, Bournemouth Road, Winchester Road, and its reverse. 

Reason for Closure: 

To allow Hampshire County Council to carry out carriageway repairs 

Period of Closure: 

The order will be effective from 02 February 2015 for a period of 6 months; 

notwithstanding this it is expected that the closure will only be in place for a 

period of 4 days. The work will be completed in phases, during the spring half 

term and/or Easter school holiday. 

The closures specified above apply only during such times and to such extent 

as indicated by traffic signs prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations & 

General Directions 2002. 

DATED: 16 January 2015

(Any enquiries, please contact Hampshire Highways on 0300 555 or

email roads@hants.gov.uk)

I am very disappointed that the council has made so little attempt to advertise such an important road closure.

Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday

Last Saturday, 20th September, the LibDem run Eastleigh council celebrated Mardi Gras, which is the last day of the carnival that precedes Lent. Lent, of course, starts on Ash Wednesday, 44 days before Good Friday, and Mardi Gras is the French for Fat Tuesday.  To us it is better known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day.

Traditionally, households would use up their sweet and fatty food before starting the austerity of Lent - the ritual fasting, so they made pancakes, and there was often a carnival. 

This year Shrove Tuesday was on 6th March, but for the third year running Eastleigh Council have held this event on a Saturday in September.  Is this because 44 days later it is Hallowe'en?  

Hallowe'en, of course, has both Christian and Pagan connotations, the former being All Hallows Eve, 1st November being All Saints Day,  and the latter being a Celtic festival.  So the question is: have our LibDem Council deliberately shunned a Christian festival to link up with Hallowe'en, which could be considered Pagan?

Or are they just ignorant?  Do they just not know or care that Mardi Gras is Shrove Tuesday?  And do they not know when Shrove Tuesday is?  Or could this be a hint that Christianity has to be pushed to one side, and not ignorance at all?

A Confusing Letter

I received this letter from the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester the other day, and I am sure I can be forgiven for thinking that they thought I had asked for my appointment to be changed.

I telephoned them and was told that this is a standard letter and, in fact, the appointment had to be changed due to sickness: theirs, not mine! Why couldn't they have said so???  To me, the use of "we confirm" suggests that they thought there had already been contact between ourselves, and that could only have been my request for a change.

WH Smith with Post Office in Chandler's Ford

Here is the new WHSmith in Fryern Arcade, Chandler's Ford, which opened last Friday, and which now houses the Post Office.

Late opening post office till

At the moment it has no book section, although the manager says that one will be added very soon; and he mentioned another very useful facility: there will be an extra post office till alongside the shop's counter and which will be open all the time the shop itself is open, which could be as late as 7pm on weekdays, all day Saturdays, and even for a while on Sundays.

I particularly like the very comprehensive magazine section, which we have had nowhere in Chandler's Ford since Alldays closed about six years ago.  And since the demise of the bookshop it's good to know that we'll have the facility to order any books not carried in stock once more.

As for the old post office, in three weeks time a butcher's will be opening there, a welcome replacement for the one that used to be in The Mall on the opposite side of Winchester Road.