The web Upton website
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The web Upton website |
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2012 |
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13th July |
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The official opening of the defences. Attended by a large crowd of residents. |
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W/C 17th June |
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W/C 10th June |
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W/C 27th May |
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The riverside tubs were moved back last week to temporary positions and on one afternoon 'suits' outnumbered workers. More lamp posts put up, and lanterns put on top. A couple of signs put in the wrong places... Upton in Bloom were able to put five railing troughs between riverside steps. Bollards put outside the Swan to make sure there is no chance of cars using the road. Concerns raised over how traffic and parking will be prevented on the pedestrianised roads from the Kings Head to the Plough, and Bridge House towards the Swan. On Monday the supports for the glass panels were put in place from the Kings Head towards the Swan. On Tuesday more glass was put in. Trees were planted on Wednesday, with more tarmac being laid by the Swan and Severn Leisure. The handrail on the steps by the bridge is awful. On Friday the riverside was opened up to pedestrians, although some work remains by the Swan. The riverside looks very smart, but it is a shame it is spoilt by details that could have been sorted as work was being done - glass cleaned but frames left covered in dust; wrong signage still in place; seats & other metalwork replaced but still covered in mud. There are other issues being pursued by the Town Council. The contractor's compound was being dismantled on Friday. |
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W/C 20th May |
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Work is still continuing although at times the number of workers appears to be very few. It looks very much as if yet another festival will take place amid works. Upton is placing great hopes in the Arts and Music Festival celebrating The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but the riverfront will not be finished by then. Upton in Bloom are on schedule to have flower tubs, lamp post and railing baskets installed for the weekend. However, "...met the whole project team today to discuss the reinstatement of the large planters and the smaller rail hung baskets. As it currently stands the final surfacing work will commence from next Wednesday (30 May), with the final works complete by Friday 1st June. To allow the contractor to complete the work to these dates and ensure the safety of both his operatives and the public, we are not going to be able to reinstate your planters until week beginning 4th June, i.e. after the Jubilee weekend. Although the road between the Kings Head and The Plough is currently open for access there is still the reinstatement of the lamp posts to be undertaken along with other finishing works which makes the reinstatement of the large planters unworkable." The information board, which was opposite Bridge House is badly damaged. Walls are unfinished; roads and footpaths are unfinished; two out of twelve lamp posts have been erected; the railings around the Old Bridge Abutment have been reinstated with a new bed created - no access to the bed without clambering through the railings; seats and railings are covered in mud. |
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W/C 13th May |
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Gates were installed. Brickwork & paving continuing. A shame that the paving is not continuing from the bottom of Lower High Street to the Swan. I think it will leave the whole area looking unfinished. Work started behind the wall to rebuild the Old Bridge Abutment wall. No dropped kerb to the gate opposite Bridge House - will wheelchairs and mobility scooters get past the tree pits to get down to the OBA? |
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W/C 6th May |
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Thursday: Concerns being raised that work won't be finished by the weekend of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The lack of workmen on site has been commented on frequently. |
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W/C 29th April |
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Horrendous weather over the weekend here and over a large area resulted in the Severn rising. The New Street gates were shut, and apart from a small leak near the bottom (which had virtually dried up by the afternoon), held back the water. Hanley Road car park was half flooded, including the contractor's compound. The wall alongside Severn Leisure was holding back water, and sandbags alongside the Swan were also working apart from a trickle coming from under them. All the gateways were protected with wood, sandbags and foam. Work continued on Monday, with the supports for the glass panels from the bridge to Kings Head River Terrace being fitted. The road from Bridge House to the Swan is being constructed. On Tuesday, glass panels were being installed. On Wednesday the riverfront was opened from the bridge to the KH river terrace. By Thursday evening as much as possible was done to enable the Folk Festival to take over the riverfront. |
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W/C 22nd April |
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Work went on all weekend. Brickwork between Severn Leisure & The Swan. The bridge steps are being paved. Paving going down towards the Kings Head. The footings being poured alongside the gate in Dunns Lane, and the gate supports put in place. More brickwork along the whole length of the riverside. |
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W/C 15th April |
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Work started on the road surface by the Kings Head. Continuing work from the Kings Head to The Swan. The steps by the bridge poured. Kings Head gate frame installed. Shuttering removed from concrete core from Severn Leisure towards The Swan. Bridge House gate installed. Dropped kerbs opposite the Plough and outside the Kings Head installed. The road base being laid by the Kings Head. |
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W/C 8th April |
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The supports for the gate by The Plough were put in place. Shuttering for the steps by the bridge put in place. Preparations for the glass panels between The Plough & Kings Head made. Bricks laid on the Kings Head River Terrace wall. Concrete poured from Severn Leisure to The Swan. Shuttering for the wall by the Swan put in place. |
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W/C 1st April |
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Paving the walkway/viewing point/footpath from the bridge. More concrete laid by The Swan. Planning Application 12/00424/S73: 'Variation of condition 2 of planning permission 10/00874/FUL to allow - cladding detail of steps by Road Bridge, Replacement of 2 proposed glass panels with brick opposite Kings Head, Installation of telemetry box opposite Bankside House to allow remote monitoring of the flood gates.' On Thursday the road from the bridge was partially opened. |
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W/C 25th March |
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Progress laying the road from the Plough towards the Kings Head. More concrete poured between Severn Leisure & The Swan. Shuttering removed from the core of the wall between Bridge House & Severn Leisure. Shuttering being installed around the Disabled Area. Including pictures from the 'wet' side of the wall. |
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W/C 18th March |
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The footpath around the Kings Head was relaid - nice job by a local company, PIC Construction. They are also laying paviers in the new layby at the other end of the road, and the cobblestones that form the gutters. A large chunk of river bank has been removed by the MV Conway Castle's gangplank, and also the rest of the Berberis bush (much loved by Sparrows) has been removed. A couple of tree pits installed opposite Bridge House. Some of the bags protecting the riverbanks are being removed. |
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W/C 11th March |
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Work continuing between the Kings Head & The Plough. Layby and flower beds by the bridge formed and filled. Preparations for the road started. By Friday another surface was being laid on the road and the viewing platform. Piling finished by the Swan. |
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W/C 4th March |
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Still problems with the drains in the Kings Head area. Shuttering going in between the Kings Head River Terrace & the bridge. Rebar laid between Severn Leisure & Bridge House. |
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W/C 26th February |
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Work continues between the Disabled Area and the Swan. Drainage pipes going in from the Kings Head towards the bridge. Piling being carried out by the Swan. |
| General pictures of progress |
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W/C 19th February |
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The fencing was removed from alongside the Swan. Piling continues opposite the Kings Head. Underground CCTV vans and a drainage tanker were busy by the Kings Head. The large wall by Bankside House has been bricked over. The flood wall in Dunns Lane is being topped off with a flat layer of bricks. The road between the Plough & Kings Head is being cleared of old concrete. The top of the wall by the bridge has been topped with brick. |
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W/C 12th February |
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On Tuesday the road along by the Swan was fenced off. Access to the houses has been left free. The area from Bridge House to Severn Leisure is being tidied after piling in preparation for digging out the earth ready for the wall foundations. On Wednesday huge lengths of timber were laid along the top of the built-up area in the river in preparation for the railings by the Swan being removed. Piling from Severn Leisure to the Kings Head continues. |
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W/C 5th February |
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Not much happened on Monday. On Tuesday, some brickwork and work on the rockery. By Thursday it appeared that the work in the river had finished. Work mostly at a standstill due to the very cold weather. |
| W/C 29th January |
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The 'rockery' is growing. Two digging machines are working now, one on the pile of stones and one on the land. Parts of the other side of one of the old bridges have now been uncovered. From Tuesday, work on piling and bricklaying was delayed due to the very cold weather. By Thursday the area between the Kings Head and in front of Bridge House had been prepared for piling. Large bags of small rock were being placed on the 'rockery', building up the area. |
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Environment Agency video of the Heritage Day about the old bridges |
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W/C 22nd January |
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Piling couldn't start outside Severn Leisure on Monday, as the machine was busy elsewhere. The stone platform is growing. On Tuesday, piling commenced. Excavation work on the old bridges continues, with several of the stones having been removed. On Wednesday the old bridge area was being covered and prepared for work on the wall. Thursday & Friday, bricks were laid opposite the Plough, where the wall joins the bridge, and in Dunns Lane. |
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W/C 15th January |
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Work commenced building up the bank alongside the Swan. Loads of large stones are being delivered by lorry from a quarry near Leicester and dropped into the river. On Wednesday bricklaying recommenced, having stopped because of heavy frosts. The remains of old bridges are being uncovered and prepared for the archaeology day on Friday. |
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W/C 8th January |
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Brickwork started. The lower bricks are engineering bricks and won't be visible when the wall is finished. On 10th January work commenced laying the facing bricks. The shuttering for the new wall by Bankside House appears to be in place. The electricity cables that went over the river from Lower High Street have been removed. The supply for East Waterside is now taken from that side of the river. |
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W/C 1st January |
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A quiet week. The core of the wall between the Plough & Kings Head has been finished. |
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2011 |
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W/C 18th December |
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W/C 11th December |
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Work commenced between the Disabled Area and Dunns Lane. Street furniture & turf removed and the working surface laid. More of the concrete core poured between the Plough & Kings Head. |
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W/C 4th December |
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Some engineering bricks (not facing) have arrived. Shuttering for the wall is still being erected. Infill between the foundations & the road continues. The first section of wall core has been poured. |
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November 2011 |
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W/C 27th November |
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Work continues at both ends of the wall. The line of the wall can be seen from the reinforcement bars between the Plough & Kings Head. |
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W/C 20th November |
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The pouring of the concrete wall foundations started on Tuesday. |
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W/C 13th November |
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Piles have been drilled in Dunns Lane & preparation work for the gate commenced. Preparations for a second pouring of concrete along the riverfront between the Kings Head and the bridge are in progress. |
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W/C 6th November |
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Work has recommenced on the green in Dunns Lane. Concrete is being laid at the other end of the project. |
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September / October 2011 |
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W/C 30th October |
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Work by the bridge was halted because some skeletons from the old cemetery were found. Digging around the piles continued. Work on the green in Dunns Lane halted. Apparently the river bank is collapsing. Cracks were observed during the summer. |
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W/C 23rd October |
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Piling continued up to the Kings Head River Terrace. Work started in Dunns Lane. Work started around the first piles by the bridge. |
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W/C 16th October |
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Work continued on putting in the piles |
| October newsletter |
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W/C 9th October |
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The road prepared for the piling machine. Piling started. |
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W/C 2nd October |
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Lamp posts removed. Preparations for piling machine. Lime trees pollarded. |
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W/C 25th September |
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Work continues on removing the paviers. The fencing around the Kings Head River Terrace has been removed. Netting to protect pedestrians from flying debris has been put on the security fencing. The footpath along the riverside is no longer accessible and notices saying 'No Mooring' have gone up. The paviers are being stacked on pallets and wrapped in preparation for storage. They will be replaced when the wall is built. Historic stones removed. |
| September newsletter |
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W/C 18th September |
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Morrison Construction took possession of the area from the bridge to the Kings Head on the 19th. Security fencing was put in place along the road, leaving the pavement free for pedestrians. On Tuesday the street furniture - seats and bollards - were removed. Upton in Bloom's floral tubs were transported to the footpath on Hanley Road. Gas services are being moved. On Wednesday & Thursday the large kerbstones and some of the road surface were removed. |