Closed
Hedges need cutting back
Reported via mobile in the Grass category anonymously at 16:07, Thu 5 November 2020
Sent to Oxfordshire County Council less than a minute later
Hedges along vast stretches of the B4044 between Eynsham and just passed Farmoor need cutting back. This is now creating dangerous driving conditions for larger vehicles that are having to cross the centre line to drive. This is not a duplicate and the report needs to be actioned and fixed. Hedges are too close to the road edge
Council ref: ENQ20879912
Updates
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Thank you for your enquiry. This issue has been passed onto the relevant team for investigation.
State changed to: Investigating
Posted by Oxfordshire County Council at 16:07, Thu 5 November 2020
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Thank you for your report. I have visited the site you pinpointed on the map, see photos. Please be aware that the budget for cutting back vegetation is now completely spent for this financial year and we have been instructed not to raise anything further. This request for vegetation cut backs will need to be held on to for the time being. This job will be logged and assessed when we have a new budget.
Posted by Oxfordshire County Council at 13:29, Fri 27 November 2020
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How can a budget for work like this be fully spent?
Surely the budget is for wages and maintenance costs for machinery. Unless you've sacked your workforce surely it doesn't cost anything extra to cut it back properly?
The road is now dangerous.
Posted anonymously at 18:04, Fri 27 November 2020
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Thank you for your enquiry. In answer to your comment about 'How can a budget for work like this be fully spent?'. The council has a limited budget to spend on our highway infrastructure and this is apportioned to different departments, within the highways division, every financial year. The budget, apportioned to the department that deals with 'cutting back vegetation obstructing the highway', unless it is an emergency, has been spent for this financial year.
In answer to your comment about 'Surely the budget is for wages and maintenance costs for machinery. Unless you've sacked your workforce surely it doesn't cost anything extra to cut it back properly'. The highways works are implemented by a private contractor, Skanska, who charge according to the job in question, not employees of the council, it, therefore, does cost extra to cut back properly.
In answer to your comment about 'The road is now dangerous.' Unfortunately, this vegetation doesn't obstruct the carriageway, but is aligned with the edge of the carriageway so doesn't meet our current intervention criteria for urgent action.
So due to these annual budgetary constraints and the fact that the vegetation growing from the verge doesn't obstruct the carriageway, we cannot arrange an immediate repair. We will continue to monitor this during our routine inspections.Posted by Oxfordshire County Council at 10:54, Wed 2 December 2020
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Thank you for your report. I have revisited this site. We have cut back the hedges, see photos. I am therefore closing this report.
State changed to: Investigation complete
Posted by Oxfordshire County Council at 09:22, Tue 19 October 2021
This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.