§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason road maintenance work was permitted along the Victoria Embankment on the morning of 6 April; what assessment was made of its impact on(a) road congestion and (b) access for emergency services; what assessment was made of the option of carrying out the work at night; and if he will make a statement. [118650]
§ Mr. HillWestminster City Council is the highway authority for Victoria Embankment. I understand that, on the morning of 6 April, contractors working for Westminster City Council took down a lamp column at the junction of Northumberland Avenue and Victoria Embankment. This was required in connection with Hungerford Bridge works, but had become urgent because the lamp column appeared to be unsafe. The works involved a lorry parked across the junction and the erection of traffic cones in Northumberland Avenue and on the eastbound carriageway of Victoria Embankment.
Works of this type in the carriageway are not usually subjected to formal analysis of their effects on congestion or emergency access unless complete closure of the road is required.
Westminster City Council have advised me that it is their policy to carry out works during the working day to avoid the environmental problems caused by working at night and weekends although planned work is avoided at peak hours on traffic sensitive routes.