Broadway....dug up!
 

I went into Accrington today and noticed that there were 4 United Utilities vans on the new pavement........and a very large hole near the doorway of JJB sports. What's the betting that they crack a few of the expensive paving stones and shove them back any old way?

It didn't look like a water or a gas leak..........so what's the hurry to dig it up?

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I'm surprised it lasted this long!

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It's probably been done on a sunday because there is no hurry.
I very much doubt if they'll be allowed to get away with it MP, the councils with the help of the government made it so that they, the utility companies , are responsible for making good any repairs to the footpaths.
Back when it became the craze to pedestrianize, councils were laying expensive decorative pavements and utility companies would come along and dig it up replacing it woth tarmac, leaving the council the bill to make good. It was costing millions, I can remember all the press blurb about it.
Would be interesting to see some pics of it now it's finished. are these slabs laid in a design. The pathing is designed in nuneaton to look like a stream running through, or thats what it reminds me of.
One of the most outlandish and interesting town centre I've ever been to is Warrington, where you can also see my name sake sat at a stone table,with alice. The top end is very aztec and totem pole designs, the bottom half is arranged like a stream with water features. If they dug up the streets there I'm not sure if they'd be able to put them back to match, alot of it is cast in su-tu.

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Willow I got the chance to see these and they look realy good and dont seem out of place.

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They had Electricity on their Jackets and looked to have replaced a major cable when we walked past.

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Did anyone hear the fat cable go bang? They often go in a very exciting way :D

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Better than a fireworks display??? :D

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And we're going to pay again remember. Didn't I read in the paper a few weeks ago that the Tory Council budget has some more money earmarked for the top end of Broadway from where the new bit ends up to to top where the mini roundabout is?

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Actually the new renovation was mentioned in last weeks Observer. it was reported that £250,000 had been set aside for it. This, oddly enough, was the same amount that was supposed to have been spent on part one. Considering that the remainder is only a third as long as the part already renovated, why are the spending the same amount?

Personally I don't believe a word of it and I think that this is just a sweetner to get Britcliffe through the elections in May.

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Design wise, it leaves me cold.


2/10.


Practicality, especially the ever wet benches.


1/10.

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Perhaps they're going to actually do something with part one with some of that cash.
Not a lot to comment on really is there?. As an outsider I feel bad for criticising so in advance I'm sorry. But its just a strip of tarmac with flags each side and chrome street furniture. There is no design as such, or not worth mentioning. The blackburn centre from just two pictures, you can see is far better, thats how Warrington is.
Here looks old, real stone pavements or riven flags, stone kerbs, cobbled streets, real stone market square, all done 10 years ago to get rid of the concrete block paveing that had been laid everywhere in no pattern or design.
Lots of bollards along pavements which are slow disappearing and not being replaced. We have no pedestrian zone, the shops are against it because thay say they need delivery accesss and will lose car trade, despite the fact that most of the cars use it as a short cut. It is one way though. I look forward to the day when it is and we can have cafe's with tables out, benches, trees, features and be able to walk free.
You've got that and they haven't made the most of it, that such a shame.

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The planters don't go and neither does the black plastic rubbish bin! If you choose chrome at least have it all chrome so that it matches.
You've got some nice architecture there. The music zone block is very nice, also the building the green and glass canopy is nice. The blue monstrosity lets it all down though, and I think smacks you in the face so hard that it cancels any thing else out that is nice. can't they replace the panels and paint the concrete with cream stone paint?

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As far as I can ascertain oak trees should be planted at the end of January, not at the begining of November, in the middle of a freezing cold spell. At least they looked 'nice' for the 'grand' unveiling of Broadway.


They look dead.


Fingers crossed they aren't.

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LOL oak trees in a town centre, now that is takin the pish. You any idea how big oak trees grow, in 20 yrs it'll be like walkin in a forest. I think you lot should get your council certified.

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They are sleeping.......:) But they might just kark it when they wake up and see where they are......:p

Tell you what I never noticed before? those crappy coloured windows at the enterance of the Arndale. :o

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All that building needs is a good cleen, but then most of them do, do your shops not have any pride?, I thought ours were bad. replace the blue panels with white or terracota to match those planters, then paint the building with a stone colour paint. look a million times better than that eye sore, and just basic building maintenance really. I trust you have it smothered with bedding plants in summer, grow bags on those overhanging roofs etc.

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It’s intentional, they wanted to camouflage the old blue and white carbuncle on the arse end of the Town Hall, but nobody could work out how long it would take…..:p


Broadway Forest, Accrington........Nice Idea, I like that....:)

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Apparently the leader of the council has the hated blue and white building on his to do list.


Funny that.


The power of Accy Web.:)

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http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/a...g?d=1107097761
That paving and seating looks far more inviting than the new stuff.

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We do have the odd hanging basket but not there, we had some large raised areas for bedding plants before they were removed to make a temporary home for the market when they were resiting it. The improved version doesn't have as much plant planning.


Ah but that was before they improved it! :D

That's probably because it's only recently been done. Another improvement? :rolleyes:

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Broadway is awful, dismal and drearie. There are not enough seats for a start. Not enough anything. I have always defended Accrington market and the town centre and always do my shopping there. But, it's disheartening. I remember people coming from Hapton, Burnley and Rossendale to our market. There's not many coming now.:(

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I stood there this afternoon admiring the innovative water feature.


The massive six meter circumference puddle in the middle of the red gravelly grit.


Engineering brilliance of the finest order.

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My Dad is an Overhead Linesman Officer for United Utilities. (Electric Board). He doesnt know of anything to do with the Electric Board happening on Broadway.

PS: I will choose to ignore your comment about cracking a few paving stones and 'shoving' them back any old way. I considerd it rather childish and a bit petty. Maybe if you had a problem with any previous work by UU, you could report it to them at their Whitebirk office.

Yours etc.

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I agree. This is nothing to do with United Utilities. This is a gang of robbers and they are planning to tunnel into the Pound Shop next door and nick all the money & stock.

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Exactly...

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Not going to get rich trying to rob the Pound Shop. Try the Town Hall they seem to have money lying around for "projects and inquires" :p :D

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Well Poppa better have a word with the underground lines officer, because on Tuesday it was defintely a United Utilities van, plus chaps , putting the paving slabs carefully back.:)

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That was their idea of a disguise. Mind you the give away should have been they were actually working. :D

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United Utilities operate many different 'Utilities'. Such as Electric, Gas and Water. Im not doubting it was a UU van. It may not of been the Electric Board.

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Not a nice thought electricity and water dont mix well. :p

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They looked at me in a funny way as they rested on their spades.

I felt violated, and am seeking damages.:p

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If your dad is an overheads lines man, and as he's your dad I don't doubt your knowledge of it, then replacing paving slabs will have nothing to do with him, thats for the reinstatment team to sort out, He's a linesman, not a groundworker, or landscaper, don't worry he's doing an excellent job.

I was in accy today and almost braved the rain to see these improvements. If I knew you were lurking with intent rindy, i would have.

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Now that is a laugh, has anyone seen the way they have put them back? its a real mess, some are not the original flags, there just white concrete flags and the original ones they have put back are all cracked

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Yup, there was a hint of sarcasm there.:D

The paving in the town centre is a disgrace.

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I didn't say it was the electric board.....in fact if you look back to my post I said it wasn't the gas or water.......I didn't mention electricity in my original post. And if you go and look on Broadway where the digging took place you will see that there are indeed cracked pavers and that it HAS been shoved back any old way.....with bog standard concrete pavers that do not match the original ones......the cracks haven't even been filled in properly. It is an absolute ar*e of a job and whoever completed it should be saddened by the sub standard workmanship. I just tell it like it is.

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If I go down there tomorrow I will take pictures and post them so that you can see for yourself.

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Oh and just by the way Tomz....I do not consider it childish or indeed petty to comment when a service industry is making a hash of the work they do and charging us for sub standard service. I am entitled to comment.

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You pay you get to critisize.

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Why does it seem to be the case that whenever a road or new pavement are laid, the utility companies are always on the scene within days digging holes in the newly laid surface?

You would think that with the myriad forms of information sharing available to us that there would be some system of organising these essential works before the new surface was laid. Or is that asking too much? I can answer my own question - yes it probably is.

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Was there at lunch time today, found it to be very bland, first time I've not enjoy being over. Maybe its just the weather.

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I'm sure it will be repaired and transformed back to the new blandness that is now broadway. Look at it like this, at least you now have a talking point about the paving. or in the most famous of all cowboy works words 'its better than it was, you should be gratefull'

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I can take it as read then that this bit of work did not add colour or charecter to the blandness.

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Have the bollards still got little patches of white concrete around them

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There's no need for bad language.:D

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I like the last picture Willow.
It shows the yellow building above M&S etc. Its looks almost as bad as the blue one yet none of you appear to moan about it.
http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/a...g?d=1141658284

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The yellow comes a close second to the blue but somehow it doesn't seem to be quite so much "in yer face". They are both very much of the same architectural ilk and typical of the era in which they were built.

And to think Hyndborg BC complained about the hot spud van lowering the tone of Broadway! :rolleyes:

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At least the building is in good repair, and shows a somewhat urban sixties modernism.

The blue and white eyesore on the otherhand, has broken plastic panels, with some of the ones with missing panels having the breeze block underneath being painted the same cacky blue.

The Arndale building, with it's minimalist clock above the pound shop has a retro charm, unlike the one attached to the Town Hall.

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Bar stewards, I used to like that van :)

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same thing happened in Blackburn, they got rid of a kiddies little carousel, and the hot potato van.... why????

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Yes, they say they are trying to introduce continental cafe culture to that part of town, then ban the van.:p

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Continental Cafe culture and Broadway go together as well as ice cream and prune juice. Both liable no make uncle hughie urquart pay a visit. :o

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If your going to introduce continental cafe culture to broadway they'd better start digging it up again. people want some thing to look at, style, design, nice suroundings not a winding tarmac road in a flat landscape. Our main streets got more style than that and ours is still open to traffic.

I didn't notice the yellow panels niel, yes they xcome second but aren't anywhere near as bad as the blue. There are the yellow/cream of the stone in broadway and the render on the building at the end so the colour isn't that out of place and demonstrates that what i and rindy said about a quick paint would make the blue building look a lot better the building, also the architecture isn't as bad, at least there's some concrete blocking and pillars that define the windows that could be cleaned up painted. The blue building is terrible, blue plastic panels, in dirty plastic windows and flat sand textured. Note though that nationwide have painted the front of the canaopy and how much better it looks. Imagine if the whole building was like that even with the blue.
On a positive note, it doesn't look like you've got much litter, it looks very clean and tidy.
I'm sure it will look much better in summer, when it's smothered in flowers all along those canopies.

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There you go G something to kill some time. Redesign Broadway for the cafe culture they so desperately want. :D

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Ok, after we've moved Accy to just outside Cap Ferrat.

The idea was mooted by the council that the area infront of the Market Hall and Town Hall be given over to street cafes.

The main draw back is that for the forty eight weeks when it may not be raining, it's an area mainly in the shade, and is also a bit of a wind tunnel, so would never work anyway.

We live in Accrington, not the south of France, plus they'd probably ban you from lighting up a Gauloise anyway.:p

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I think the woolies building is quite nice actually, comparred to the blue, and isn't half bad for the architecture of that time. You could have nipped in to greggs while you were there willow and got me a hot sausage roll.

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Not one person is sitting on the lovely marble benches, taking in the beautiful, newly improved surroundings, and admiring the artful, stainless steel street furniture.

Philistines.

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Thanks Willow.

Ive just clicked on the blue and white picture four times, and it is still bloody horrendous.

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And the interior is scarcely any better - have you seen what they have done with the wood panelling on the staircase????? You can't tell me that it is supposed to look like that because I remember what it was like when it was first built!

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Yes the blue is worse than the yellow. It would help, a little, if they actually cleaned the blue side. It is very dirty. In fact, looking at it again, I think it would make a massive difference if it was clean.

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Hate both but as the blue has the steak bake sellers underneath then it would edge it (taste buds and stomach had the last vote). :D

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Paint them all Stanley red.

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The colour of the canopy on woolies looks quite nice, be nice if both sides were the same

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Just Broadway, Willow?

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This is a picture of the wonderful work those United Utilities people did......do you think it is quality repair work....? It looks like a bad patchwork quilt.

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Looks quite decent that for Hyndburn borough councils workmanship :rolleyes:
I know how difficult it can be to raise the 1st flag without damaging it, after that all the others are dead easy, how did they manage to break so many is what I want to know

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It was the work of United Utilities......I thought they were supposed to restore the repaired area to 'original' condition. It isn't just the broken pavers....there are paver put down that don't match the originals and also an area of bald concrete. Just posted the pic so that people who haven't seen the area can see it.

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I know, they must have broken the ones they took up.
Thay might have put all the crap down they had on there lorry so BT, Gas and water dont damage the good ones when they dig up in the same place very soon :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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Oh......now there's a thought.......:)! Have you some inside information on that K.S.H.?

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I hope it's put right, you desserve it to be perfect if it's only just been done.

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Looks like they need some nursery school children to show them how its done.

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Correct me if im wrong but isnt it someone else's job to put paving back nice and neat to your satisfaction? Not United Utilities? If UU spent time re-paving etc on every bit of land they worked on, they would have no other time to do anything! Such as being called out in the early hours on a winter evening to deal with power cuts etc, something which they are actually paid for? If your so bothered about the 'ar*e of a job' why dont you go and re-pave them yourself? Or is that because your not paid to do it? Just like.... erm.... United Utilities?

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Er, if they dig it up they should repair it to the state it was in before they dug it up. Who elses job do you think it would be?

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Just a little correction there readers. The work of United Utilities was 'underneath' the paving slabs. I'll give you a little hint Margeret, 'dont' call United Utilities when you want your driveway paving. You might find that the job is somewhat less of what you would expect as they are here to work on UTILITIES not PAVING.

Its not rocket science. (United Paving) Sounds good eh?
Like I said love, dont like it. DIY.

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No Tomz.....the company who dug up the ground have a responsibility to return it to the original condition. It is what they are paid to do. And if you look at the pics you will see that it could, in no way be called a 'satisfactory' job.

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Erm... shouldnt it be HBC who sort that out? Like I said, you cant expect UU to spend hours re-paving slabs to 100% customer satisfaction. And do some people think it is possible to uplift concrete paving slabs without cracking them? Oh... in a short amount of time?.... I think not.

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I wouldn't dream of calling United Utilities to have my drive paved.....especially as I have now seen their work....and it doesn't matter that their work was underneath the paving slabs.....they have to make good the repairs to the pavers that THEY dig up. You don't expect the council to come along and fill in a hole that someone else has dug up do you?

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I think you'l find if you do some short research, perhaps contact UU. That it isnt their responsibility to restore all their work places to the original condition. It 'isnt' what they are paid to do. If they are told to restore a pipe, or install Utilities somewhere, that is what they do, and if it means digging up surfaces, then that is what they have to do! Nevermind re-paving slabs.

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And while it may not be possible to lift the pavers without doing some damage, it would be expected that the damage would be repaired and the original colour paver be used......not just the bog standard concrete ones......after all this development has only been completed for 3 months(approx)

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Like I said in an earlier post it is more or less impossible to lift the 1st one without damage, after that they are easy. There not cemented down, there only sat on dry sand so no need for damage to more than 1

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No, your still not getting it there are you. Its not their 'work' to be paving slabs. Their work was to do whatever they needed to do... underneath.

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And NO....I don't like it.....but why would I be doing it myself......don't we pay people to do proper repairs any more?

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Now your talking. It would 'be expected'. Yes.

But im afraid however much you dont agree, it is not UU job to re-pave anywhere. They didnt just think "oh... we will go and work on Broadway today" it was essential work that needed doing, and was most probably contacted by HBC to do the work. Therefore, it isnt UU's responsibility to re-pave.

Do you see where I am coming from?

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Well you dont pay UU to. I can tell you that now.

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Well thats your opinion. Even though incorrect. I will live with it. Maybe you need to give UU a ring and ask them yourself who's responsibility it is. And im slightly offended at your stereotypical comment towards workmen having 'no pride' in the job.

Its all so good people are having a good complain about it on here, how many people have actually contacted HBC or United Utilities about it? Erm.... im guessing at none.

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I am sad that you are offended......but I am also sad that the repair work was left in such a sorry state. Oh, and by the way, when I pay my council tax I'm sure there is some of it the goes into work such as this.

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And contacting either of these organisations would be a pointles waste of time.......I'm sure they would pay no heed whatsoever.

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Well yes I am offended. I see how hard my Dad works, at all times of day and night. And to say that workmen (which im guessing includes my Dad) have no pride in their job is quite offensive. But then again, not every workman is the same, and its nothing to do with my Dad anyway, he's an overhead linesman. And works on pylons. Not underground. So yeah...

Oh and before I go, your council tax doesnt pay UU. It pays HBC who spend the money on essential work in the borough? Perhaps they didnt pay enough for the slabs to be re-paved to 100% satisfaction?

Ah well. Im going now. Nice debating with you this evening. No hard feelings.

Cyaz.

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How can they be including your dad, he's an overhead linesman, he doesn't work on underground cables. I would suggest though that you go out and watch a few teams dig up pavements, that have plenty of time, and you'll see that they don't care what damage they do. They don't care because as you've said it's not their job to put it back, it's reinstatements job. They just back fill and make it safe(ish). Saying that hbc should pay is completely ludicrous hbc don't own the services, they give permission for them to be under their pavements. UU have to have permission to run them, and permission to close the pavement and permission to dig the pavement up. If they didn't we could all do it. I could just dig the road up and run a cable to over the road. When they get that permission they agree to make good, which is the reinstatement departments job.
Someone should be round to take the slabs back up and relay them properly replacing the broken ones. That is unless thats already been done.
Our council tax or to be more precise the other posters council tax has already paid for them, paid for them to be laid, and they were to 100% perfection, uu undone that work. UU are paid by it's customers, to maintain its supply systems, and that includes, repairs and reinstaments after repairs. If I am wrong, prove it so that i can dig the pavements up and run an unmetered supply over the otherside of the main street so I've got a third christmas light supply, this ones up to it's maximum now, and this and the pub are on the wrong side of the road. Unless your dad can run an overhead for me??

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Well some bloody workmen, or women, are to blame. The state of the pavements in Hyndburn are a disgrace and very dangerous. If it was the people that layed then in the first place, or the people that subsequently dig them up, they are awful.

They could lay flags properly over a hundred years ago. All the York stone flags they decided to replace with ****ty tarmac and concrete don't even drain off. Where did all the York stone flags go, or the money that was made?