Hertfordshire County Council
Local Authority / Fire Service
Action Taken
Hertfordshire County Council fixed faulty lights on the pedestrian refuge on Digswell Hill after a report in January 2022, and have checked them every 20 days since. The site is now included in the asset inventory for regular inspections and maintenance. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Sir Inquest Into the death of Stovon Eaedale Regulatlon 28 Roport to Prevent Future Deaths Response CORONER'S MATTERS OF CONCERN TheMATTER OF CONCERN i8 as follows: That the lack of worklng Ilghts on the pedestrian refuge on the B197 Digswell HIII (near the Red Lion Public House) poses a danger t0 road users and pedestrians. Specifically that neither the illuminated bollard nor the streetlamp are in working order: DETAILS OF ACTION TAKEN The Illumlnated bollards and refuge beacon on the same Island were confirmed to be in light on 13 January 2023. They have been checked every 20 since then, with no faults found, and the most recent check on 3rd March 2023 confimed that all lights were working as expected: [Please note the reference to streetlamp in the Report is Interpreted to mean refuge beacon on the same island as tho bollards: The refuge beacon is a low wattage unit with minlmal Ilght output in a downward direction to identlfy the Island for motorists from a distance. It is not deslgned to provide lighting for usors of the crossing] All other slgns and bollards on the B197 Digswell Hill have been checked and were confilned t0 be in light on 3rd March 2023 BACKGROUND: County of opportunlty days the
The island and associated assets were not logged on the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) highways inventory at the time of the Road Trafiic Colllslon The content and quality of the highways inventory continually improves as assets are added to It In the last year 2,850 assets were added t0 the inventory which contains total of 1,297,947 assots. This means inspections and maintenance of the bollards and refuge beacon would not have been carried out. It is possible other malntenance works may have been caried out at this location; bollard cleaning for example, but these occur during daylight hours and s0 the lack of Illumlnation of the bollards and refuge beacon would be unnoticed: First knowledge of the existence of the assets as a location requlring maintenance by the highways lighting team was after a fault report was raised on 13th Decomber
2021. A hlghways crew visited the site on 12th January 2022 (achieving the 20 working target response for lightlng faults): On attendance on 12th January 2022 , It was found the beacon and bollards were not Iit, and this was caused by a UKPN (UK Power Networks) mains fault; This was notifed to UKPN on 13th January 2022. The site was checked on 31st January 2022 and the fault had not been repalred: It was re-ralsed with UKPN as a high priorty: By Ist February 2022, UKPN identified that the fault was positioned on the bridge over the A1: Before any excavations are carried out on a bridge the owner must provide their approval ' Inltlally UKPN checks were made with HCC to seek approval to excavate on the bridge. HCC confirmed that the structure was not our structure, rather It was Highways England/National Highways (NH): The outstanding fault at thls location was on the agenda at monthly meetings between UKPN and HCC and in June 2022, Ringway (the maintenance contractor working on behalf of HCC) requested that UKPN consider altornative options for electricity supply. Ringway attempted t0 help UKPN by logging an enquiry with National Highways in June 2022 on behalf of UKPN: Our understanding is that on 9th January 2023 UKPN received permission to excavate National Highways, and once that was received UKPN started work on tho fixing the mains fault on Ith January 2023. The HCC highways team were able to confimm all illuminations were in-Ilght on 13th January 2023. The location has been checked every 20-days since then and has been in-light each time. DETAILS QF FURTHER ACTION PROPOSED The slte is now included in the asset inventory and as such the bollards and beacon are inspected and maintained. will continue to be inspected every 20 by & day from site, They - days
Highways team and be attended t0 If necessary: If at any time the Ilghts are not working; that can also be reported by members of the public uslng the onllne Hertfordshire County Council Fault Reporting system. Yours slncorely dhio; Execudve
The island and associated assets were not logged on the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) highways inventory at the time of the Road Trafiic Colllslon The content and quality of the highways inventory continually improves as assets are added to It In the last year 2,850 assets were added t0 the inventory which contains total of 1,297,947 assots. This means inspections and maintenance of the bollards and refuge beacon would not have been carried out. It is possible other malntenance works may have been caried out at this location; bollard cleaning for example, but these occur during daylight hours and s0 the lack of Illumlnation of the bollards and refuge beacon would be unnoticed: First knowledge of the existence of the assets as a location requlring maintenance by the highways lighting team was after a fault report was raised on 13th Decomber
2021. A hlghways crew visited the site on 12th January 2022 (achieving the 20 working target response for lightlng faults): On attendance on 12th January 2022 , It was found the beacon and bollards were not Iit, and this was caused by a UKPN (UK Power Networks) mains fault; This was notifed to UKPN on 13th January 2022. The site was checked on 31st January 2022 and the fault had not been repalred: It was re-ralsed with UKPN as a high priorty: By Ist February 2022, UKPN identified that the fault was positioned on the bridge over the A1: Before any excavations are carried out on a bridge the owner must provide their approval ' Inltlally UKPN checks were made with HCC to seek approval to excavate on the bridge. HCC confirmed that the structure was not our structure, rather It was Highways England/National Highways (NH): The outstanding fault at thls location was on the agenda at monthly meetings between UKPN and HCC and in June 2022, Ringway (the maintenance contractor working on behalf of HCC) requested that UKPN consider altornative options for electricity supply. Ringway attempted t0 help UKPN by logging an enquiry with National Highways in June 2022 on behalf of UKPN: Our understanding is that on 9th January 2023 UKPN received permission to excavate National Highways, and once that was received UKPN started work on tho fixing the mains fault on Ith January 2023. The HCC highways team were able to confimm all illuminations were in-Ilght on 13th January 2023. The location has been checked every 20-days since then and has been in-light each time. DETAILS QF FURTHER ACTION PROPOSED The slte is now included in the asset inventory and as such the bollards and beacon are inspected and maintained. will continue to be inspected every 20 by & day from site, They - days
Highways team and be attended t0 If necessary: If at any time the Ilghts are not working; that can also be reported by members of the public uslng the onllne Hertfordshire County Council Fault Reporting system. Yours slncorely dhio; Execudve