Dated: 03 November 2006

Dear Mr Round

Highway Issues in Baughurst

Thank you for writing recently on 15th October 2006 regarding the width of roads in Baughurst. I have read your comprehensive report on the matter and discussed it further with my local engineer.

As you will be aware the level of traffic on all roads whether rural or urban, major or minor is steadily increasing and the problem of overrun where tyres cause rutting at the edge of the road surfacing is unfortunately very common. As a result the Highway Authority receives a steady flow of tyre damage claims relating to this aspect of highway maintenance. To counteract this it is common practice to either fill in the ruts with hard material such as stone aggregate or tarmacadam or to construct kerbing to delineate the edge of the toad and then resurface locally up to the face of the kerbs. Timber posts are also used but this may set in train repeat maintenance visits.

Kerbing is not universally welcomed in rural areas and the following paragraph is included on the Policy pages of the Hampshire Highways website

The County Council as the Highway Authority has a genera presumption of no kerbing in rural areas unless it is top prevent overrunning, or to assist drainage, or within villages. However, when engineering factors deem kerbing to be necessary then countryside type kerbs shall be used. Where kerbing is used to prevent over-running on bends or a/junctions the kerbing shall be laid to a batter to a batter to help reduce tyre damage.

I note that you endorse the use of short sections of kerbing in rural areas to counteract the effect of tyre wear on verges and I can note this for future reference in your locality. I would however like to point out that as a matter of formality Hampshire Highways does try hard to act with the consensus of the community and liaises with the Parish Council in order to achieve this. In this respect I would be grateful if you could confirm that the Baughurst Society and Baughurst Parish Council are at one with this issue.

In summary I acknowledge your concerns and if this is confined as a consensus as above in future I and my team will look more carefully at verge repairs in Baughurst Parish and subject to available finances we will endeavour to use countryside kerbing where possible as I believe this is the only practicable way to arrest the gradual widening of the rural roads.

Yours sincerely

Peter Eade

Assistant Chief Engineer - Basingstoke