Improvements Urgently Needed For Christchurch Roadworks Communication and Planning

St Albans residents and road users are still struggling to understand what is happening, why and when on their roads.

Innes council candidate and community board member, Ali Jones, has for the last fortnight, been fielding calls and inquiries from Francis Avenue residents. Extensive roadworks on nearby Flockton Street has meant the re-routing of a bus and traffic which is causing chaos in peak hours and other challenges across the day.

“Some people can’t get out of their driveways, others can’t get out of the street without sitting in a traffic jam each morning. Others thought we were having small earthquakes until they realised it was the bus going past, a reroute they were unaware of,” says Jones. “One resident has reported damage to his house from the buses but I haven’t seen this yet.”

Jones says she was first contacted by a resident on September 19 about the wastewater renewal on, and closure of, Flockton Street, and the effects that would have on Francis Ave. Then she heard from her again two days later saying she had seen road cones and no stopping signs go up along Francis Ave but had heard nothing about what was happening.

“The resident  had also discovered that the Flockton bus was being re-routed down Francis  Ave - again she hadn’t received any communication about that. I followed up with our ward team and they confirmed that the bus was being re-routed, saying it was on the Metro Bus site. I kept raising this lack of communication with council officers and 11 days later, she and other residents received a letter outlining some of the works. It’s not good enough,” she says.

Jones adds that she has consistently raised these issues to highlight the systemic issues that leave residents, businesses and road users in the dark about road works, and it is around the council table that she believes these issues can and will be addressed.

On another matter in St Albans, a start work notice for work commencing on Rutland Street on 12 October (12pm-3am) was delivered to houses today, and Jones says it is incorrect.

“The notice says the resurfacing work is on Rutland Street (between Malvern and St Albans Street) but I have been advised today that it is between St Albans and Westminster - which is about ¼ of the area. Additionally, I have no idea why this part of the road would be resurfaced. There’s a patch between Innes and Malvern that is in terrible condition and constantly subsiding, and I have been told today there is no funding for it. It makes no sense,” says Jones.

Ali Jones emphasises that this is not about apportioning blame, this is about addressing problems and improving the way things are done.

“I have had excellent conversations with roading contractors, project managers and traffic management co-ordinators, a number of whom share my frustration and can see ways to improve things. If elected, this will be a priority - to sit down with those at the coal face and sort the issues out,” she says.