|
Robert Key Esq
MP
House of Commons LONDON
SW1A OAA |
Great Minster
House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P4DR Tel: 020 7944
8015
Fax: 020 7944 4309
E-Mail: charlotte.atkins@dft.gsu
Web site: www.dft.gov.uk
OurRef: CA/015951/04
Your Ref: RK/SJA/Cons/Roads |
Thank you for your
letter of 28 October, enclosing an e-mail from Councillor Dennis Brown,
about progress in authorising traffic signs for the Salisbury
Joint Transportation Strategy. The delay in issuing
authorisation documents for the signing package has largely
occurred because the sign drawings and
location plans submitted to the officials have been inaccurate
or incomplete,
not because of a log-jam between the Highways Agency and
Central Department. A considerable number of complex sign
designs are involved,
which have
required careful checking. In some cases, there have been
errors and omissions in replacement drawings which were not
present in earlier
versions and which were not immediately spotted when the
revised drawings
were received. Salisbury have now been informed that most
of the sign designs proposed for local roads are acceptable
in principle but that
some additional drawings are needed to replace defective
ones.
Officials in the
Highways Agency have been considering the drawings and location
plans for signs on the trunk road network.
It is true that the high vehicles (HV) symbol will still
require authorisation from the central Department, but
this is not holding up progress
of
the Highways Agency's work. Officials wrote to Salisbury
on 16 September, and again on 25 October following receipt
of further drawings, to point
out a number of errors and omissions. They too are awaiting
receipt of revised drawings from Salisbury.
I fully accept
the point that the signs need to be installed during the current financial
year to make use of the funds
we have allocated. I have asked the officials to do all
they can to expedite the authorisations
once accurate drawings have been received.
CHARLOTTE ATKINS |
