Latest news with #Octavius
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Investigation launched after claims workmen ‘p****d' in public and ‘whistled' at passers-by
An investigation will be launched following allegations council contractors 'p****d' in public and 'whistled' at passers-by on a delayed roadwork project. Manchester Council said it 'takes any accusations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously' and confirmed the incidents 'will be investigated and the appropriate action taken' after a resident's complaint. The firm carrying out the project to install a bike lane on Oldham Road in the city centre, Octavius, said it has implemented 'extra training about proper conduct'. READ MORE: Man arrested on suspicion of drug driving after horror M62 smash leaves person seriously injured READ MORE: Nursery closes suddenly as Ofsted says it was 'failing to keep children safe' Octavius also confirmed the an 'element' of the roadworks 'will be completed later than originally anticipated', expected to be July this year. One neighbour said the scheme, which started in February, was scheduled to finish last Sunday (April 27). The same resident hit out at workmen's 'poor behaviour'. 'A guy pulled his pants down and started p***ing at 8:30am one morning,' said Chrissie Keener, who's lived on the road for 11 years. 'He was p***ing in one of the holes being dug.' Ms Keener, who works in media, also said she witnessed staff 'eyeing up' a passerby. She said: 'It was nothing overly aggressive. There was a woman jogging and they were eyeing her up and looking at each other. They have been whistling too. It's poor behaviour. 'I would not care if they got it done but they keep extending it.' She also told the Local Democracy Reporting Service work has been slow: 'They have just started putting a pathway in. 'I do not know why a cycle lane is a mammoth project. Literally a 10 storey building has gone up faster next to it. 'I am not a builder but looking out you can see they have kept digging holes and refilling them. Most of the time there's no one working there.' A spokesperson for Octavius said there had been a 'hiatus' on work due to 'delays in obtaining some essential materials'. In a statement, they said 'extra training' has been implemented around 'conduct': 'We take the resident's views seriously and quickly arranged an in-person meeting with the project liaison officer to understand them better. 'The cycleway project is running to schedule. The work in front of the resident's house has started, but a delay in obtaining some essential materials – granite street furniture – is why the resident has observed a hiatus and why this specific element of the project will be completed later than originally anticipated. 'Project leaders have raised the resident's concerns about some conduct with the site team. It has been made clear that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated, in addition the team have all received extra training about proper conduct on site.' A spokesperson for Manchester City Council added: "The council takes any accusations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and we would like to reassure this resident that it will be investigated and the appropriate action taken."
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The complex operation to fix 'UK's wonkiest road'
After three years and one month, 7,500 tonnes of stone and £5m spent, the road dubbed 'the UK's wonkiest' has been fixed - but why did it take so long to repair? In February 2022 the B4069 Lyneham Banks in Wiltshire gave way, suffering a landslip after Storm Eunice. It was closed and slipped even more, causing huge cracks in the surface and leading to it becoming a playground for BMX riders. About 90 metres of the road was lost. That might not sound like much, but the fix has required some serious engineering - much more than just laying some tarmac. In fact, the tarmacking and painting only took about a week. But what went before was far more complex, not least because the road was still slowly sliding away. Wiltshire Council said it had to wait for the land to mostly stop moving before it could do much. It also had to get a lot of ground investigations done, something the council has said was "absolutely necessary" and means the same problem should not happen again. The new section of road and its supports has been designed to last around 120 years and took 25,000 work hours. Contractors Octavius did the work, which the company perhaps understatedly described as "a challenge", starting in July 2024. "The hillside was still creeping when we commenced work, and such ground conditions demanded some creative solutions," said Chris Hudson, operations director of Octavius' highways business. Massive excavators and cranes were needed - something made trickier by being in a rural area with limited access to the site. The repair crews also had extra issues with more wet weather and not wanting to make the slipping worse. "We came with an initial plan - the access changed that plan several times. We adapted," said Mr Hudson. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire He explained that masses of earth had to be taken away to make the area more stable. Then a 108m-long huge retaining wall had to be put in place. Big concrete pillars called bored piles - 120 of them - were put into the ground. They go down 14 metres. To put that into perspective, most UK homes would not have foundations beyond a couple of metres into the earth. A large beam was then put on top of those and the slope above and below the road was reshaped with new drainage, using 560m of drainage channels and grates and 1,000 tonnes of stone counterforts. Altogether for the project, 650 cubic metres of concrete was needed and 2,370 bags of grout. There have been finishing touches too - 600 new plants now run alongside the road. The road would usually take around 5,500 vehicles a day, but for three years these have all been diverted through smaller villages. Locals have said they are thrilled to have it re-open and Wiltshire Council has thanked the community for its patience Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. UK's wonkiest road reopens after three-year closure Repairs approved for Wiltshire's 'wonky road' Residents concerned over B4069 Lyneham Banks repairs Wiltshire Council
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The complex operation to fix 'UK's wonkiest road'
After three years and one month, 7,500 tonnes of stone and £5m spent, the road dubbed 'the UK's wonkiest' has been fixed - but why did it take so long to repair? In February 2022 the B4069 Lyneham Banks in Wiltshire gave way, suffering a landslip after Storm Eunice. It was closed and slipped even more, causing huge cracks in the surface and leading to it becoming a playground for BMX riders. About 90 metres of the road was lost. That might not sound like much, but the fix has required some serious engineering - much more than just laying some tarmac. In fact, the tarmacking and painting only took about a week. But what went before was far more complex, not least because the road was still slowly sliding away. Wiltshire Council said it had to wait for the land to mostly stop moving before it could do much. It also had to get a lot of ground investigations done, something the council has said was "absolutely necessary" and means the same problem should not happen again. The new section of road and its supports has been designed to last around 120 years and took 25,000 work hours. Contractors Octavius did the work, which the company perhaps understatedly described as "a challenge", starting in July 2024. "The hillside was still creeping when we commenced work, and such ground conditions demanded some creative solutions," said Chris Hudson, operations director of Octavius' highways business. Massive excavators and cranes were needed - something made trickier by being in a rural area with limited access to the site. The repair crews also had extra issues with more wet weather and not wanting to make the slipping worse. "We came with an initial plan - the access changed that plan several times. We adapted," said Mr Hudson. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire He explained that masses of earth had to be taken away to make the area more stable. Then a 108m-long huge retaining wall had to be put in place. Big concrete pillars called bored piles - 120 of them - were put into the ground. They go down 14 metres. To put that into perspective, most UK homes would not have foundations beyond a couple of metres into the earth. A large beam was then put on top of those and the slope above and below the road was reshaped with new drainage, using 560m of drainage channels and grates and 1,000 tonnes of stone counterforts. Altogether for the project, 650 cubic metres of concrete was needed and 2,370 bags of grout. There have been finishing touches too - 600 new plants now run alongside the road. The road would usually take around 5,500 vehicles a day, but for three years these have all been diverted through smaller villages. Locals have said they are thrilled to have it re-open and Wiltshire Council has thanked the community for its patience Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. UK's wonkiest road reopens after three-year closure Repairs approved for Wiltshire's 'wonky road' Residents concerned over B4069 Lyneham Banks repairs Wiltshire Council
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
UK's wonkiest road reopens after three-year closure
People living near a road once dubbed Britain's wonkiest say they are excited it is back open - and not at all wonky. A large section of the B4069 at Lyneham Banks, in Wiltshire, was damaged by a landslip during Storm Eunice in 2022. Three years and one month later, at a cost of £5m to Wiltshire Council, it is open again and diversion signs will be taken down over the next few days. Trish Blacker, who lives in Bradenstoke where diverted lorries had to travel down tiny roads, said it is "going to be seriously positive". Ms Blacker said the lengthy diversion route meant the school run could take two hours each day. "It's been a struggle," she said. "I'm a mum with four children. It's meant a huge amount of time in the car. It's been frustrating, but I'm excited." Ms Blacker said there was anger when the road first closed, but added this had died down over time. She said people are now in "high spirits" at the opening. "It is going to give everybody more time," she added. Kirt lives in Lyneham and explained the long diversion had been costing him a lot in petrol: "It should only be a 14 mile round trip for me to go to work. I've being doing 34 a day." "It feels absolutely amazing. It's like a weight lifted off my shoulders." He also remembers seeing the road breaking - noticing a big hole just before it shut. "If you saw the state of it, you could see why it took so long," he added. John Williams lives in Lyneham and can see the road from his home. He said the diversion meant he had to drive an additional 5,000 miles (8,047km) during the three-year closure. "I'm not angry," he said. "I just sort of accepted it really. [It was] just one of those things we had to put up with." Mr Williams said he is impressed by the work, especially with the planting of new hedgerows and trees. "They've really worked hard - they've got it done on time." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire The project has been described as "challenging" by both the council and the contractor Octavius. This was because the land was moving for a while after the landslip, and meant there had to be a lot of investigation to work out how to repair it. Now the road is open once again, Ms Blacker said she will be travelling down it blasting On The Road Again by Willy Nelson. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Work starts to repair Wiltshire's 'wonkiest road' Wiltshire's wonkiest road 'killing pub's trade' Road ripped up by subsidence could cost millions to fix
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Road dubbed Britain's wonkiest set to reopen
A road dubbed Britain's wonkiest is set to reopen three years after it was ripped up by a major landslip. The B4069 at Lyneham Banks, Wiltshire, was closed in February 2022, but is set to reopen on Wednesday. The work, which included constructing a 108m-long retaining wall and cost £5m, was completed by Octavius on behalf of Wiltshire Council. Wiltshire councillor Alison Bucknell said: "It has been a long, slow journey to get to where we are today." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire During the work, the slope above and beyond the roadway was regraded, with drainage systems also installed beneath the new carriageway and on the new hillside. "I would like to pay tribute to all of the officers and contractors who have worked on this project, and to the residents and businesses who have had to put up with a huge amount of inconvenience," Ms Bucknell added. She said while residents have asked for an official opening, there will be "no balloons, no fanfare, no drumroll". "The most important thing is that we can get our lives back to "normal" as soon as possible," she said. She said the whole situation had been "simply horrendous". Before its closure, the road was used by more than 5,000 vehicles a day. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'UK's wonkiest road' set to reopen after landslip Work starts to repair Wiltshire's 'wonkiest road' Repairs approved for Wiltshire's 'wonky road' Wiltshire Council
