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Friday 26 January 2001 Roads Service Ms Nelis asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail Roads Service expenditure on minor and major works and roads maintenance programmes per district council area over each of the last ten years. (AQW 1117/00) ROAD MAINTENANCE (CASH PRICES)
NOTE: Road maintenance includes structural maintenance, routine maintenance, maintenance of highway structures, traffic maintenance, street lighting maintenance and car parking maintenance. MINOR ROAD WORKS (CASH PRICES)
NOTE: Minor works includes minor road improvements, transportation measures, traffic management, accident remedial and minor bridge strengthening schemes. MAJOR ROAD WORKS (CASH PRICES)
NOTE: Major works includes major road and bridge strengthening scheme. The Minister for Regional Development (Mr Campbell): The attached tables show Roads Service expenditure on minor and major road works and road maintenance on a district council basis during the period 1989-90 to 1998-99. Regrettably, because of changes to internal financial systems arising from the re-organisation of Roads Service in 1999-2000 the information for that year is not yet available on a district council basis. However, major works are prioritised on a Province-wide basis, not on a divisional or district council basis, against a broad range of criteria such as strategic planning policy, traffic flows, number of accidents, potential travel save times, environmental impact and value for money. Minor works funding is allocated on a needs-based priority approach using indicators such as population, weighted road lengths and number of accidents. Areas of comparable populations do not necessarily have comparable roads either in terms of distance or indeed classification. Disabled Parking in Newry Mr Fee asked the Minister for Regional Development to outline his plans, in relation to the Newry area, to; (a) increase parking facilities for the disabled; (b) improve access to car parks for the disabled; (c) improve public transport; and; (d) improve public transport for the disabled. (AQW 1166/00) Mr Campbell: (a) As part of their programmed alterations to public car parks in Newry, my Department’s Roads Service propose to increase the number of designated disabled parking bays in the following car parks:
The number of such bays is based on the level of demand in each car park and the car park’s overall size. (b) Roads Service propose to carry out a number of improvements to the above car parks, including the provision of drop kerbs as necessary to improve access for people with disabilities. It is hoped that these improvements, including the additional parking bays, will be completed during the current financial year. (c) There have already been substantial improvements to public transport in the Newry area. The new Newry bus centre, costing M, was officially opened in November 1999. In addition, Translink has introduced three additional bus routes in the Newry area supported by the rural transport fund. Looking to the future; plans for a new railway station are at design stage and, in the interim, a new building, which incorporates a heated passenger waiting facility, toilets and ticket office has been provided. Translink also advise that, depending on the availability of rolling stock, they will be examining existing timetables with a view to improving rail services. (d) Discussions are taking place between Newry and Mourne District Council and Translink with a view to establishing an ‘Easibus’ service in Newry town. Many other improvements will provide better facilities for the disabled; for example, the provision of new, low-floor buses and the eventual new facility at Newry railway station will all have increased accessibility for people with disabilities. Traffic Management in Newry Mr Fee asked the Minister for Regional Development to outline his plans, in relation to the Newry area, to; (a) improve traffic management; (b) decrease congestion on the main routes into the town; (c) increase parking facilities, and; (d) improve access to car parks. (AQW 1167/00) Mr Campbell: (a) Following consultation with Newry and Mourne District Council, my Department’s Roads Service finalised a transportation and parking study of Newry in 1999. Flowing from this study: work is nearing completion on a scheme to provide 2 lanes of traffic in both directions from Downshire Place to Water Street; design work is at an advanced stage to introduce traffic signals in place of roundabouts at William Street and Abbey Yard, and; the potential for improvements in the Merchants Quay/ Sugar Island area and Sandy Street are currently being investigated. (b) Roads Service has recently installed a computer system to control and co-ordinate the operation of traffic signals on the main north/south route through Newry. This system is designed to assist traffic progression and currently operates during the morning and evening peak periods. Roads Service intends to develop the system in future to take account of traffic patterns at other times. In addition, the traffic management improvement schemes referred to above are also intended to improve traffic progression. (c) The Roads Service study referred to in (a) concluded that the existing parking facilities within the town centre are sufficient to meet the future parking needs of the town and, consequently, there are no proposals to provide additional parking facilities at this time. However, Roads Service proposes to modify some of the current waiting restrictions and this is likely to result in a modest increase in the number of on-street car parking spaces in the town centre. (d) A number of Roads Service schemes to improve access to car parks have been completed or are ongoing, for example; an improved entrance layout at the Lower Water Street car park and a vehicle ramp linking Lower Water Street and Abbey Way car parks have been provided; traffic signs giving directions to town centre car parks were provided within recent years; a car park leaflet which includes a map showing the location of the car parks was published last year; and environmental improvements, currently ongoing in the car parks on either side of the bus station, include the provision of additional footpath links to improve access between the car parks and adjacent streets. Roads Service Funds Mr Hussey asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the criteria used to allocate Roads Service funds to the divisions within the Department. (AQW 1204/00) Mr Campbell: The budget available to my Department’s Roads Service includes funds for major and minor capital works and for the maintenance of the road network. In the case of major capital works, funds are not allocated on a divisional basis but are allocated for schemes that have been prioritised and included in the Roads Service major works preparation pool. Schemes are prioritised on the basis of their assessment against a broad range of criteria such as strategic planning policy, traffic flows, number of accidents, potential travel save times, environmental impact and value for money. As regards minor capital works, funds are allocated to each of the four Roads Service divisions on a needs-based priority approach using criteria that take account of the length of roads, number of accidents and population. As to road maintenance, funds are allocated across Divisions on the basis of need, using weighted indicators tailored to each maintenance activity. For example, the indicators used to allocate funds for the resurfacing of the non-trunk road network take account of the amount of travel on the network in each Division, the condition of the network in each Division and the carriageway area in each Division. Sewage Overspill: Carrickfergus Mr Hilditch asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the number of incidents of raw sewage overspill in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area in each of the last five years. (AQW 1236/00) Mr Campbell: Raw sewage overspills from Water Service infrastructure can occur in a variety of ways. They include; discharges from the normal operation of combined sewer overflows during periods of heavy rainfall; overflows to sea or waterways arising from problems at treatment works or pumping stations; small overspills arising from sewer blockages; and out-of-sewer flooding resulting from equipment failures, sewer collapses, or inadequate capacity to deal with the volume of rainfall. Water Service does not have records of the number of incidents in each of these categories. The available information in respect of incidents in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area is as follows:-
Water Service also has records of the number of customer complaints relating to blocked sewers and flooding over the past 3 years:-
The flooding complaints include all those reported to Water Service irrespective of the cause and will include multiple complaints about single incidents. The complaints also include flooding caused by surface water or overflowing watercourses as well as out of sewer flooding. Administrative Data Sets Dr O’Hagan asked the Minister for Regional Development to list the administrative data sets held by the Department and its agencies and detail whether these data sets provide qualitative data at enumeration district, electoral ward level, by district council area or by parliamentary constituency. (AQW 1262/00) Mr Campbell: The following administrative data sets are held by the Department for Regional Development and its Agencies: Water Service customer billing system Both of these databases contain postcode details, so that the data can be aggregated to all the specified geographical units subject to the requirement to respect the confidentiality of the subject. Schools on Non-Gritted Roads Mr Fee asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail how many; (a) primary schools, and; (b) post-primary schools, are on roads that are not on the Roads Service’s gritting schedule. (AQW 1276/00) Mr Campbell: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost. As you will be aware from my statement in the Assembly on 15 January 2000, I have initiated a review of my Department’s current policy on the salting of roads. The review will examine the implications of salting school bus routes. Armagh City Bypass Mr Fee asked the Minister for Regional Development if he has plans for a road bypass of Armagh City. (AQW 1278/00) Mr Campbell: My Department’s major works preparation pool does not currently include plans for a bypass of Armagh. However, Roads Service is currently assessing a number of potential proposals, including schemes, which together would form a bypass of Armagh, for possible inclusion in its 10-year forward planning schedule. I hope to publish that schedule later this year. Road Bridge at Creggan Mr Fee asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail (a) his plans to improve the road bridge on the B30 Newry to Crossmaglen road at Creggan near Crossmaglen; (b) the number of occasions the bridge has required repair or reinstatement as a result of vehicle impact, and; (c) his plans to construct a new bridge on the B30 at Creggan. (AQW 1279/00) Mr Campbell: Roads Service inspected the bridge in question in June 1999 as part of its general bridge inspection programme. The bridge was found to be in good structural condition and capable of taking normal construction and use heavy goods vehicles — 40 tonnes with effect from 1 January 1999. There are therefore no plans to improve the bridge or to construct a new bridge at that location. However, Roads Service does intend to improve sight visibility to the west of the Donaldson Road and the B30 Newry to Crossmaglen road junction adjacent to the bridge. The work, which is due to commence this month, will enhance awareness of the bridge. The bridge was damaged in 1996 and 2000 as a result of road accidents and subsequent repairs were carried out. |