Parish Lengthsmen scheme to be considered (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Decision will be taken on Tuesday
5:00pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in News By Helen Morton
A SCHEME to employ local Parish Lengthsmen may be rolled out to parishes across the borough.
Historically, the role involved an individual looking after various sections of highway using hand tools.
Today the role is much the same but the tools are modern and Parish Lengthsmen duties may include ditch clearing, maintenance of grass verges, sign cleaning and other minor maintenance issues local communities identify as important.
A successful trial of the scheme in Hampshire has led to the development of the scheme for rolling out in other areas of the county and a proposal to extend the scheme to 43 parishes.
A decision on the proposal to extend the scheme will be made at the environment and transport decision day on Tuesday March 5. Councillor Mel Kendal, deputy leader and executive member for environment and transport, said: “With today’s volume of traffic and speed of travel, as well as higher standards for safe working on highways, a great deal of our maintenance work requires heavy duty mechanical equipment operated by small teams of highways staff.
“However, there are many tasks that can be done very effectively at a local level.”
