Dozens of roads to be closed for £2.5 million upgrade of Northampton’s sewers

Anglian Water is planning to re-line 90 different sections of sewer including five-and-a-half kilometres of pipes in the town centre.

The aim of the work is to protect the ageing brickwork and reduce the potential for the sewer to be blocked.

The work will involve a number of road closures across the town while the work is carried out.

Roads affected include Booth Lane South, Collingtree Road, Kettering Road and Weedon Road.

The work involves a long ‘sock’ lined with resin being inserted into the sewer where it fixes itself to the walls. It is then heat cured to form a rigid pipe within a pipe which is designed to last for 100 years.

John Clare from Anglian Water said road closures may be needed for safety reasons but this will be done with plenty of notice and access will be maintained for residents and emergency vehicles.

He said: “This is a big job but the hope is that by using the liners we can keep disruption to an absolute minimum.

The Government today announced millions of pounds more for road repairs in Northamptonshire on the day the county was hit by the first snowfall of 2013.

Northamptonshire County Council, which oversees highways maintenance, will receive an additional £3.7m over the next two years in addition to the current annual budget of £16m which the authority spends on preventative road repairs across 2,500 miles of roads.

According to County Hall, the heavy rainfall at the end of last year has caused considerable damage to the roads and, combined with the current severe winter weather, it will bring further deterioration.

Councillor Andre Gonzalez De Savage, county council cabinet member for infrastructure and public protection, said: “We very much welcome this extra money from the Government which is part of a nationwide investment with the aim of helping councils to fund the repair and maintenance of roads which are experiencing increased deterioration due to successive severe winters and the recent heavy rainfall.

“We will use this extra money to continue with our good work of preventative repairs which extends the life of roads and therefore reduce the need for future full structural reconstruction works which can cost up to 10 times more.

“In this way the county council is able to improve value for money and treat more of the road network.”

The Government has made £2,457m available in 2013/14 with a further £1,315m on offer for the financial year 2014/15.

Fluctuations in temperature during very cold conditions can break up the road surface as water expands when it turns to ice. But milder weather brings no respite as surface water can also damage highways because vehicle tyres compress water to such an extent, the increased pressure breaks up the carriageway.

Published on Monday 14 January 2013 13:22

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/business/local-businesses/3-7m-extra-to-treat-northamptonshire-s-weather-worn-roads-1-4679675

Down Your Way for Thursday 11th October Edition

The Borough Council is currently conducting a consultation on whether 7 areas should have a Parish Council. St. James is one of those areas and the Council want you to fill out a questionnaire and give them your thoughts on whether you wish to have a Parish Council in St. James, or not! The consultation runs until 19th October. In addition, they will also be giving you the chance to vote on the issue on November 15th, but have given no details as yet as to how you can do this. The only problem is that the Council do not want to post the information you need, to make an informed choice, to your home. The issue here is you may end up paying a potential £50.00 extra on your council tax bill without ever being formally consulted on it!

So, the SJRA has created a webpage http://www.sjra.info/cgr.html to give you the basic information and to signpost you in the right direction, in addition we will be discussing the issue at our next meeting on 11th October, after the AGM, with representatives from both sides of the debate.

POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER ELECTION
The election for this new post will take place on November 15th and its very important that you vote and find out what is all about as this will have a huge impact on the way you are Policed.

Remembrance Day parade and service 2012

The Mayor of Northampton Councillor Roger Conroy will lead a procession of councillors and town dignitaries from the Guildhall to All Saints' Church as part of this year's Remembrance Day Parade and Service on Sunday 11 November.

The main Parade will form in two parts on the Market Square.  The Northampton Pipe Band will lead the first part of the march to All Saints’ Church at 9.30am and will be followed by the second part led by the Air Training Corps Band at 9.35am.  The Parade will join with the Mayor's procession at All Saints' Church for the Divine Service which starts at 10am.

Free cavity and loft insulation available in Northampton

Free cavity and loft insulation is available in Northampton and people who qualify for the scheme are being urged to get in touch as the funding runs out in December.

The insulation is completely free to eligible homes as it is covered under the government incentive Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT).

The Council is supporting accredited companies Well Warm and GM Contracts to provide insulation to tenant’s homes and anyone who might be eligible will be contacted directly. Tenants can also call 01604 838594 for more information about the scheme. 

Private homeowners and private sector tenants can also claim the offer if eligible.  Anyone who would like more information can contact Northants Warm Homes Insulation Scheme on 01933 231853.

Councillor Mary Markham, Cabinet member for housing said: "Cavity and loft insulation can save you an estimated £300 off your fuel bills. We will be contacting Council tenants who might be eligible and I would urge private homeowners and private sector tenants to also take up this offer before the funding runs out in December.”

Toddler afternoons are back at Northampton museums



Themed activities and play sessions for pre-school children have restarted for the autumn at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and Abington Park Museum.

The afternoon drop-in sessions take place every other Thursday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm and are free. The theme for autumn is weather and there will be plenty of opportunity for toddlers to meet other children, play with toys, paint and get creative with a host of fun activities.

The next session is this Thursday 4 October at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. For more dates and venue details visit www.northampton.gov.uk/toddlerafternoons or call Elizabeth Long on 01604 838544 or 838111.

Three more distraction burglaries involving violence on elderly people have been reported to police. These follow seven cases last week which included, as reported in the H&P, a raid on the home of a 92-year-old who feared for his life after he was attacked and left with bruising and cuts to his face.

Detective Inspector Lorraine Gordon, who is leading the investigation, said: “These callous individuals are clearly targeting the elderly to commit these horrific crimes and what makes them worse is the violence or threat of violence used.

“We can’t stress enough how important it is for the elderly or vulnerable not to open the door if they do not recognise the caller.

“We have had a number of cases recently where victims are opening the door without verifying who the caller is.

“We are carrying out regular patrols in the neighbourhoods and issuing leaflets in the area.

Published: 20/09/2012 14:00 - Updated: 19/09/2012 18:58 H&P

Sheltered Housing Support Service consultation closes on Monday

Consultation on the proposed changes to the Sheltered Housing Support Service closes on Monday, 24 September.

There are 2,200 sheltered housing properties in Northampton and currently support is only provided to these sheltered housing tenants and not to other older people in general needs housing. The current service is considered to be inflexible and fixed at four levels offering daily, weekly or monthly visits by a Sheltered Housing Co-ordinator and an emergency alarm only service.
The proposals look at changing the service to provide support based on customers’ needs, now and in the future. This means that each tenant would have a personalised level of support that can increase or decrease depending on assessed needs. The changes would also introduce new ways for tenants to access support, for example by popping along to drop-in sessions or telephoning support staff for information and help.
Information about the consultation and the questionnaire is available on the Council’s website by visiting www.northampton.gov.uk/shelteredhousing