Virginia Street Roadworks

Road resurfacing and other works are set to take place on Virginia Street, Southport, during the weeks ahead.

The scheme will be carried out in two phases to miminise disruption and is due to start in the week commencing February 27.

The improvements, which include footway reconstruction, are taking place following the residential development at the former Leaf UK factory site. As part of the planning conditions, traffic calming measures will also be introduced on Virginia Street.

Phase one involves the closure of Virginia Street between Eastbank Street and Sefton Street for up to three weeks from Febrary 27. The second phase is due to start from March 19 and will deal with the section between Sefton Street and Hampton Road, also lasting up to three weeks.

All traffic will be diverted via Scarisbrick New Road, Ash Street, Virginia Street, Forest Road and vice versa.

Access for emergency services and pedestrians will be maintained at all times while access for residents will be restricted during working hours. If safety permits, access for local businesses will also be allowed.

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This will cause many delays etc. Virginia St. is a MAJOR route around the town because of the Railway, Traffic calming is DEFINITELY required down there ( I lived down there for 40 yrs ) It's a race track 24/7 ! Taxi's - Police cars (without lights) and ALL the general public seem to think they can go as they please. If Plod was ever to just sit and check for speed or defective lights at night, He'd fill his notebook within the hour.

They need to come and put some traffic calming measures down Grantham Road also, cars travel too fast and we have got a school on this road.

I am a resident down Virginia street now, and this is the first time we have had a date for these works to start this is going to be alot of fun because the road IS going to having SPEED CALMING introduced and also a 20 mph SPEED LIMIT not that will make any difference to the international pizza chains drivers that is at the top of Virginia street, they use it as their own race track overtaking each other, would like to know also if their vehicles are covered by bussiness insurance.

Cemetary Road being closed is a bit of a bummer.

Great news - but why has it taken so long to get round to it?
Virginia St has been in obvious need of re-surfacing for many years!

Originally Posted by diskkeeper

They need to come and put some traffic calming measures down Grantham Road also, cars travel too fast and we have got a school on this road.

And how many of those speed merchants are parents rushing to pick up or drop off their children.

Originally Posted by The PNP

Great news - but why has it taken so long to get round to it?
Virginia St has been in obvious need of re-surfacing for many years!

and no doubt a cycle lane eh??

Originally Posted by Liveone

and no doubt a cycle lane eh??

None planned for this scheme.....but new 20mph limit should make it a safer road to ride.
A smoother surface will also be more than welcome - all those old bumps and patches were
a real pain!

Another' pain in the arris' taraffic calming measure that is unnecessary!

The road surface, I agree, needs to be upgraded. It WAS supposed to be done the year following the upgrading of the surface from Eastbank Street to Virginia Street corner (by the Victoria foot bridge). That never happened because 'other streets' (within the 'whole of Sefton') took priority!

One of the conditions of Bellway obtaining planning permission for the Virginia Street development was that they would pay part of the cost of improvements of the footbridge - WHEN is this work going to start? the steps at the Virginia Street end are crumbling and dangerous and need urgent work and the handrail at the Asda end is broken.
Has Sefton Council let Bellway get away with not paying the money or have Sefton had the money and used it to pay for sandwiches at council meetings?.
Incidently a condition of Bellway obtaining planning permission for the Pilkington Road development was to provide a park/play area on the site - not much sign of that happening either!

Originally Posted by Greywolf

And how many of those speed merchants are parents rushing to pick up or drop off their children.

I agree more than what would admit to doing so.

Originally Posted by ramires01

One of the conditions of Bellway obtaining planning permission for the Virginia Street development was that they would pay part of the cost of improvements of the footbridge - WHEN is this work going to start? the steps at the Virginia Street end are crumbling and dangerous and need urgent work and the handrail at the Asda end is broken.
Has Sefton Council let Bellway get away with not paying the money or have Sefton had the money and used it to pay for sandwiches at council meetings?.
Incidently a condition of Bellway obtaining planning permission for the Pilkington Road development was to provide a park/play area on the site - not much sign of that happening either!

That footbridge and EVERY other bridge, of any sort be it foot or motorway, over railways, are OWNED BY the Railways, everywhere in the country.

Originally Posted by deeb8

That footbridge and EVERY other bridge, of any sort be it foot or motorway, over railways, are OWNED BY the Railways, everywhere in the country.

Any bridge, level crossing, etc. built as part of the original act of parliament that created the railway line WILL be maintained by Network Rail. Any subsequent to that e.g. just about every motorway bridge over a railway line will be maintained by the Highways Agency, other non-trunk roads will be the responsibility of (normally) the local council. I'm pretty sure the footbridge is the responsibility of Sefton Council, but I stand to be corrected.....and no doubt will be.

Is it called "105 money" that the developers have to pay to the Council when constructing 'New Build' houses.

That money is not necessarily spent in the same area as the New Build, however I was at an Area Meeting when the Traffic calming of Virginia Street was mentioned as being partially funded by the money obtained from the Bellway development.

There is a plan of the proposed road 'improvements' on SGB/Q Local, somewhere!

Will try to find it and link it to this thread.

Why bother with resurfacing? The current road surface is the only traffic calming measure required.

While we're on the subject of V St. - does anyone agree that the double yellows around the bend are on the wrong side of the road, wouldn't it be more sensible to have them on the 'inside of the bend rather than the 'outside' - Especially now that the factory has gone - it would seem to make much more sense, but then the council does't possess that. ... does it ?

Originally Posted by deeb8

While we're on the subject of V St. - does anyone agree that the double yellows around the bend are on the wrong side of the road, wouldn't it be more sensible to have them on the 'inside of the bend rather than the 'outside' - Especially now that the factory has gone - it would seem to make much more sense, but then the council does't possess that. ... does it ?

Deeb8, don't get me started on this. This is something the council agreed to but now seem to have forgotten! It is a needed for the safety of drivers driving round the bend and also, trying to pull off a drive way is a nightmare and when having to navigate around park cars it is even more of a nightmare. I don't actually think double yellows would make any difference as the customers from Smakus ignore traffic regulations anyway and also think private driveways are a car park for the shop!