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Archive for the ‘Transport’ Category

Car-sharing via PARWICH.ORG: would you find it useful?

Posted in About this site, Transport on Thursday June 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

One of our readers has suggested that we start up a new section on this site, dedicated to car-sharing requests.

So, for example, if someone is going to Derby, Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock – or even further afield – they could post the information here, along with a phone number or other contact details.

This would also work the other way, so that anyone needing a lift could also post a request. Requests could also be posted on behalf of friends, neighbours and relatives who do not have internet access.

Examples:

Spaces available in car going to Ashbourne at 10:00am on Friday 25th June – John, tel. xxx
Lift wanted from Derby station at 6:00pm on Thursday 24th June – Mary, tel. xxx

As for sharing of any petrol costs, this would be left to the discretion of the drivers and passengers.

Our reader says:

This would be ecologically and environmentally sound, cheaper for some, companiable for others and convenient for all.

The blog team are more than happy to trial such a service – but before we make a start, we’d like to know whether or not you would find it useful.

Please let us know what you think by completing our poll.
Note that you can tick more than one option.

If you would NOT find the service useful, please tick the last option only. In this instance, the “negative” votes are just as helpful to us as the “positive” votes, so please don’t hesitate to answer honestly!

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An idea for Parwich?

Posted in Transport on Saturday March 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Following on from the recent blog discussions on the speed of some traffic in the village, one of the Blog Team was struck by the installation pictured below which can be found at the entrances to Brassington.

Would a measure such as this be a good idea for Parwich? Do you think it would have an effect on people driving into the village?

Comments please!

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Buses in Church Walk

Posted in Transport on Saturday March 13, 2010| 2 Comments »

I noticed yesterday afternoon and again this afternoon at about 3pm that the bus went along Church Walk rather than sticking to its route. Presumably this was the 411 from Ashbourne. Both times it seemed to be going rather fast; this does not seem very safe given the narrowness of the lane and the number of pedestrians, including children.

Has this become a regular occurrence or is it just a one (or two) off? A one off to help passengers with a heavy load, if the driver takes care, would not be a problem, but regularly going fast along here must be dangerous.

Peter T

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Update on the B5056 Closure

Posted in Local government, Roads, Transport on Tuesday December 15, 2009| 2 Comments »

On the 17th November there was a public meeting organised by Derbyshire County Council on the current temporary closure of the B5056. Our report of that meeting at PARWICH.ORG can be seen by clicking here.

Cllr Simon Spencer committed the Authority to keep residents up to date in writing on the various issues raised that could not be conclusively dealt with in the meeting.

Earlier this month Cllr Chris Jackson (Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport) sent out a letter with their minutes of the meeting and their current action plan from the meeting. Yesterday they also emailed us this so we could put it on the Blog. To access these papers click on the following links:

(Note: the minutes and action plan are not exactly as sent to us as the originals contained some full names and addresses which we have removed. Added 16th Dec.)

You can contact the Cllr Chris Jackson directly with any responses or further thoughts or alternatively any comments added below will be forwarded by the PARWICH.ORG Team to Highways.

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Speeding and other traffic concerns.

Posted in Parish Council, Police, Roads, Transport on Monday September 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »

At the last Parish Council meeting (held on September 8th), PC Cooper presented various pieces of information regarding various traffic concerns.

Following the concerns raised at the open meeting, a speed survey was carried out. Statistically, the speed and the number of incidents reported do not highlight a problem.

The Parish Council would like to make people aware of the need to report any concerns.

PC Cooper’s report: (more…)

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B5056 Closure: County Council’s update

Posted in Roads, Transport on Tuesday September 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Today we spoke to Mark Sloan of Derbyshire County Council in relation to the public notice indicating possible closure of the B5056 up to March 2011, nearly a year longer than expected. Here is our summary of this phone conversation.

The County Council have not altered their plans or the timetable for repairs to the B5056, and it is currently intended that the road will be re-opened well before March 2011. However, the process for implementing road closures has cost options, not least the cost of advertising in newspapers. If work was to be delayed for any reason and they overshoot the planned closure by even a day, the County Council would have to initiate a new road closure notice and incur more costs. Further there are restrictions on how many times closure notices can be issued for an individual road.

Consequently, because there have already been previous closure notices on the B5056 and because of the unpredictability of weather impacting on the landslip and its repair, the County Council applied the maximum possible closure period, though not intending that the road will be closed for the full period.

Work is to start on the other repairs needed on the B5056 just south of Bradbourne Mill and Tissington Ford, where the other temporary lights were situated, within the next month or so.

Currently the land drains on the hillside above the Fenny Bentley landslip are being surveyed and it is planned that drainage on the hillside will be improved prior to the start of the road repairs. The work on the actual landslip is planned to begin shortly after the Christmas and New Year holidays. This will involve sinking piles down to bedrock and rebuilding the retaining wall prior to re-instating the actual carriageway. It is anticipated this work will cost in the region of £600,000. (Presumably their previous expectation of the repairs taking some three months still stands, suggesting the road is still due to re-open by next April.)

Our Councillor Simon Spencer is in regular contact with Highways on this issue and is pressing them to ensure the road is reopened as soon as possible.

The County Council are concerned that despite their various road blocks vehicles are still using the B5056 at the landslip. They point out that the road is unsafe and people ignoring the road closed signs will not be covered by insurance. The Council are to bring in a crane so they can place large stones in addition to the existing ramps and barriers.

Possible implications for the other local roads during the closure, including gritting and minor repairs, are under consideration.

It was emphatically stated that the situation at Fenny Bentley is not a repeat of that of the former A625 at Mam Tor and the County Council anticipate the B5056 will be reopened as soon as possible.

People can contact the County Council via their Parish Councils or via Cllr Spencer or directly themselves (see our Government & Local Government Directory for contact details). Alternatively any comments left here will be passed on to Highways.

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Starting today: free transport for health-related journeys.

Posted in 2009, Posts of Note, Services, Transport on Tuesday September 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »

From today (September 1st), free health-related transport will be available for patients in a number of local villages – including Parwich. The transport will be provided by a number of different local organisations (including Ashbourne Community Transport), and is part of a scheme to assist those in rurally isolated villages. (Source: Buxton Advertiser.)

To find out if you are eligible, or to book the service, contact 01335 300670.

Note that the same number can be use to book “Dial-A-Bus” services, which are available for anyone unable to use ordinary public transport. Services run on Mondays from Parwich, Alsop and Ballidon to Ashbourne town centre, and on Mondays and Tuesdays from Parwich and Ballidon to Derby. Click here for more information.

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‘Rural Health Link’

Posted in Services, Transport on Tuesday July 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Rural Health Link is a new project aimed to help people in this area attend health related appointments. There is a 50% subsidy on transport costs to all health related appointments, including trips to GPs (both Hartington and Ashbourne Surgeries), hospitals, chiropodists, dentists and physiotherapy.

This is particularly relevant to those of us who live in Parwich, Alsop, Pikehall and Ballidon, as there is no public transport at all for patients going to the Hartington Surgery.

Those in our area wanting to use the Rural Health Link please call Ashbourne Community Transport on 01335 300 670, and ask for the Rural Health Link Co-ordinator.

Rural Health Link is a working partnership between Ashboune Community Transport, Buxton & District Volunteer Centre, Bakewell Community Transport and Derbyshire Dales Volunteer Centre, and is supported by Derbyshire County Council (Cllr Simon Spencer’s community grants).

This is in addition to the existing provision by these groups. The Rural Health Link Co-ordinator will as appropriate organise your transport with these groups.

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Walk to School Week

Posted in School, Transport on Sunday May 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »

walking This week is Walk to the School Week.

Parwich Primary School are encouraging staff and children to leave their cars at home and where possible walk to school.

An additional idea is that parents who have to drive, leave their cars on The Green (or even by the football pitch) and walk through the village.

The School will be collecting information and giving out stickers and certificates to those children that take part. Again, this is a national and local county initiative aimed at encouraging healthy living and lowering pollution levels.

Perhaps other PARWICH.ORG readers could also think about how they could walk more and use cars less this week. Adults and children let us know how you get on and share any good ideas you have.

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Two Ashbourne Streets closed for 5 weeks.

Posted in Transport on Sunday January 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

TWO Ashbourne roads will be closed temporarily while gas and sewer works are carried out.

From Monday to February 13, Compton Street will be closed to through traffic as work progresses on the relaying of the main sewers in the town centre.

Cokayne Avenue at its junction with The Green Road (B5035) will be closed from Monday to January 31 while a new gas main is laid.

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Derbyshire Dales Taxi Study

Posted in Parish Council, Transport on Friday October 10, 2008| 1 Comment »

Parwich Parish Council want to know our opinions on the level of demand for taxis (Hackney Carriage and Private Hire) within our area. Derbyshire Dales District Council are assessing this issue:

The District of Derbyshire Dales is largely rural and with that comes particular issues of demand for taxis. Generally, towns with a population of 10,000 or more might support a Hackney Carriage rank but the bulk of demand will tend to be in response to phone calls and principally met by Private Hire Vehicles.

We are seeking to contact each Parish Council within the District in order to gauge the level of demand and quality of taxi service they are experiencing. Also, this is an opportunity for each area to voice its opinion and experience of taxis within the District.

In order that our experiences and views can be included in Parwich Parish Council’s response, please leave a comment below or email them directly on ppccl@fsmail.net by 25/10/08.

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Middleton Top and Leawood Pump

Posted in History, Out & About, Societies, Transport on Monday October 6, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday’s Local History Society trip was a great success. We started at Middleton Top, where the stationary engine was working. When the Cromford & High Peak Railway (now the High Peak Trail) was build in the late 1820s, to join the Cromford Canal to the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge, they did not have a set idea of what a railway should be. (more…)

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Road safety night at the Bluebell.

Posted in Events, Roads, Transport on Monday October 6, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Shirley’s Driving School are hosting a road safety event at 7:30pm on Tuesday (October 7th) at the Bluebell Inn, on the A515 at Tissington.

The event is open to past and present pupils, their parents, and pupils and parents from any other driving schools.

There will be a talk from Ashbourne fire service, chips and a raffle.

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History Society trip reminder

Posted in History, Out & About, Societies, Transport on Saturday October 4, 2008| Leave a Comment »

click on poster to enlarge

Click here for more information on the two steam engines

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Explore the Peak District with Bruce the Bus or Tess the Train

Posted in Environment, Out & About, Peak Park, Transport on Wednesday October 1, 2008| Leave a Comment »

I am not sure how relevant this is to most of our readers, but I liked the pictures.

Bruce the Bus

Bruce the Bus

There is a new leaflet encouraging people to explore the Peak Park by public transport:

Children can help plan days out across the Peak District with a new family-friendly leaflet featuring

Tess the Train

Bruce the bus and Tess the train. The “Hop on and Explore” leaflet is part of a Peak Connections campaign to encourage families with younger children to use public transport when visiting the area.

Click here to down load the leaflet as a pdf. (more…)

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An interview with our District Councillor

Posted in Housing, People, Planning, Services, Transport on Thursday May 8, 2008| 1 Comment »

Thank you to Peter Trewhitt for providing this interview with Simon Spencer, Councillor for the Dovedale and Parwich Ward of Derbyshire Dales District Council

Simon Spencer should be well placed to understand our local issues. His family have lived and worked in the area for sometime, the family firm, Spencer’s Bakery of Ashbourne, having been founded in 1826. Although born in New Zealand, he came back to Ashbourne when only six months old, and has lived here ever since. Attending Osmaston Primary School, he quickly became familiar with the Parwich and Dovedale area helping his grandfather and later his uncles with their daily bread deliveries. Also his connection with Parwich included annual trips to Parwich Wakes: “It was a really good day out.” (more…)

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Unfair Parking Ticket…? Help Needed (Quickly!)

Posted in People, Transport on Sunday April 27, 2008| 7 Comments »

I could do with a bit of advice…
Back in March I was issued with a parking ticket; since I thought the ticket was completely unfair I immediately appealed against it, only to find out yesterday that my appeal was turned down and I must, “pay the full amount of £80 within 7 days” or be pursued in court! (By the time the letter arrived, 5 days had already passed since the date the letter was issued).

The (hopefully) potted history to this is as follows. I parked in the main Derby train station car park; I bought a £10 ticket at ~7.45am, stuck it on the windscreen and headed off for Birmingham. When I returned at ~18.00, I had a parking ticket stuck to my windscreen. The ticket stated I had been fined as I had no valid ticket and was not parked in a valid space.

In fairness, when I checked the ticket I’d bought main part of the ticket had fallen off the windscreen and only the sticky bit remained; however, I wasn’t overly worried about this as I’d bought my ticket by Switch and so there would a record. The non-legal parking was more perplexing; after a number of discussions with nearby construction workers and the station parking manager it transpired that the space I parked in should have had a cone in but everyone agreed that the cone was often not put back and so, not possessing any psychic powers, I couldn’t have known that I shouldn’t have parked there. (more…)

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Long Walk Home

Posted in Transport on Friday April 25, 2008| 3 Comments »

This morning Ben caught for the first time the bus into Ashbourne, for an 11.30 appointment. I checked the timetables & assured him he could catch the 13.10 to Carsington Water & then onto Parwich arriving about 13.57. When he alighted in Ashbourne he asked the driver about the return journey & was told that the next bus going to Parwich was 15.50. Not wanting to stay in Ashbourne for that long, he walked home – ask Ben about the litter and any details that you want to know about the road slippage – he’s seen it all. Thanks Nia for rescuing him just past Bradbourne Mill.

The big question is – with these new timetables, how come the drivers do not know about all the services, expecially when it appears that the same company is operating them. I have yet to speak to TM Travel on this matter.

Has anyone else experienced similar problems.

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A515 amongst the most dangerous in the country

Posted in News, Roads, Transport on Wednesday April 23, 2008| 3 Comments »

This week’s Ashbourne News Telegraph reveals us to have one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the country for motorbikes: “Figures released to coincide with a new campaign show that the short stretch of A515 between Ashbourne and Alsop-en-le-Dale has seen more bikers die or be injured than most other roads in the country.” To find out more about the road safety campaign call Derbyshire County Council on 01629 058058.

A recent post here at PARWICH.ORG raised concerns that the new 50mph speed limit has made this road even more dangerous, so will we see the local section of the A515 moving up the league table to become the most dangerous stretch of road in the country?

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Potholes!

Posted in Roads, Transport on Wednesday April 23, 2008| 2 Comments »

Have you noticed that the potholes seem to have been “repaired”. An orange DCC van was seen yesterday at various points around Parwich filling the many holes. Is our blog & the phone calls to County Council making a difference.? I have been told that there is a book open in the village, bets being placed now as to how long these repairs will last. Your comments please.

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Lift to Ikea?

Posted in Transport on Wednesday April 23, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Tomorrow we have an appointment in Ilkeston at 2pm, if anyone wants to visit Ikea or Decathlon Sports, we’ll glady drop you off for 1 1/2 and pick you up on our return. We’ll be leaving Parwich just after 1pm. Give us a ring on 665

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How to make a road unsafe by reducing the speed limit – a personal view by Bob.

Posted in Opinion, Roads, Transport on Sunday April 20, 2008| 3 Comments »

I have been driving up and down the A515 most weekdays for around 12 years. From 1995 when we lived in Doveridge, near Uttoxeter to work in Buxton, and from 2002 when we moved to Parwich. The past month, I have witnessed more dangerous driving incidents than most of those 12 years put together.

What has changed this past month? The speed limit has been reduced for most of the length between Ashbourne and Buxton from 60mph to 50mph.

On the face of it, one would think that reducing the speed limit would encourage safer driving, and I for one would certainly endorse a reduction in limit (to 40 or even 30) in inherently dangerous stretches such as the Alsop curves, Fenny Bentley and Brierlow Bar. However, a blanket 50mph along the whole stretch including Lean Low seems to be encouraging some really bad driving.

Many drivers have dutifully reduced their speed, however many don’t, and some appear to get frustrated with those who do observe the 50 limit which encourages dangerous overtaking manoeuvres at high speed. A great distance can be covered overtaking a vehicle traveling at 50mph, and drivers get themselves into trouble very quickly through a lack of judgement about how much road they have available.

Several times in the past month, I have come over the brow of a hill to find two cars abreast traveling toward me at relative closing speed of 100mph+. I honestly do not believe the road has been made safer in many stretches by the introduction of this blanket 50mph speed limit, and additionally there are very expensive looking solar and wind powered signs appearing along the length of the road, presumably to remind drivers to keep to the speed limit.

It doesn’t seem to make sense to me – I just don’t want to give in to the cynic in me which suspects an ulterior motive. What authority could possibly put revenue raising above safety considerations?

Comments?

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Concern about potholes in Smithy Lane

Posted in Roads, Transport on Sunday April 6, 2008| 1 Comment »

We have had several comments on the potholes appearing in Smithy Lane as it approaches Townhead Green, at the edge of the village. A lot of water runs down the Dale road and the Hilltop road, and also there seems to be a collapsed drain in the middle of the road adding to the water on the road. There is the perennial problem of ice here in winter on a blind bend, but the recent wet weather has meant a significant deterioration in the road surface. There is a danger now that drivers will be worrying about avoiding the potholes and not concentrating on whether anyone else is coming the other way. We have emailed this information to the County Council (http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport_roads/).

However, what are your thoughts?

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Speed Limit change on B5056

Posted in News, Out & About, Roads, Transport on Friday January 18, 2008| Leave a Comment »

I went to Matlock on Tuesday and when I returned I saw that the speed limit had changed on the B5056, it is now down to 50 mph an hour. Remember this is the road that runs from Bentley Brook to the Hollybush, past Longcliffe.

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