Hierarchy of footways in Frinton and Walton
Dear Essex County Council,
In dealing with footway defects and their risk a major risk factor for footways is the level of use and hierarchies are set to reflect this.
Please supply the hierarchy categories for footways in Frinton and Walton CC division and list for each road (or group of roads on the hierarchy) levels of service for safety, serviceability and sustainability used to reflect local risk factors.
During the development of these categories please state whether actual pedestrian counts were used or other factors were used (which should be stated). Please also state the date when these categories were developed.
Please also state (and provide the date) when the last testing of these assumptions was undertaken to refine any resulting decisions.
Yours faithfully,
Mr R H K Everett
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your two further requests for information which we will
handle under the Environmental Information Regulations 2005.
We have added those on the attached email to those below and logged as one
request.
The Regulation allows us up to 20 working days (excluding statutory
holidays), with an additional 20 working days for voluminous or complex
requests, to process a valid request for information. We will inform you
if we require the additional time for your request.
We may be in touch with you should we require any further clarification.
We will determine and let you know whether we hold the information you
have requested and consider whether we are able to release the information
or if it is exempt from disclosure.
ECC does not usually charge for providing information to its requestors as
the provision of electronic copies is negligible, however under certain
circumstances we may have to do so if providing the information costs more
than £25. We will let you know before we do any work that would incur a
charge.
Please note that the response and data released to you as part of this
request will be published on the Essex County Council website. The website
address is [1]https://secureapps.essex.gov.uk/Freedom_... All
requests will be anonymised and no personal information including contact
details will be disclosed as part of this process.
Please contact me if you would like further advice or assistance about
your request, or your right to access information held by Essex County
Council.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [2][email address]
W: [3]www.essex.gov.uk
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Dear sir,
Apologies – I missed off the reference : ECC13591617 10 22
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [1][email address]
W: [2]www.essex.gov.uk
[3][IMG][4][IMG][5][IMG][6]WEISF_Email_Signature_Icon
From: Your Right To Know
Sent: 17 October 2022 16:50
To: 'Mr R H K Everett' <[FOI #908042 email]>
Subject: EIR Acknowledgement ECC
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your two further requests for information which we will
handle under the Environmental Information Regulations 2005.
We have added those on the attached email to those below and logged as one
request.
The Regulation allows us up to 20 working days (excluding statutory
holidays), with an additional 20 working days for voluminous or complex
requests, to process a valid request for information. We will inform you
if we require the additional time for your request.
We may be in touch with you should we require any further clarification.
We will determine and let you know whether we hold the information you
have requested and consider whether we are able to release the information
or if it is exempt from disclosure.
ECC does not usually charge for providing information to its requestors as
the provision of electronic copies is negligible, however under certain
circumstances we may have to do so if providing the information costs more
than £25. We will let you know before we do any work that would incur a
charge.
Please note that the response and data released to you as part of this
request will be published on the Essex County Council website. The website
address is [7]https://secureapps.essex.gov.uk/Freedom_... All
requests will be anonymised and no personal information including contact
details will be disclosed as part of this process.
Please contact me if you would like further advice or assistance about
your request, or your right to access information held by Essex County
Council.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [8][email address]
W: [9]www.essex.gov.uk
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Dear Mr Everett,
Thank you for your recent requests for information, both attached to this
email, and being dealt with combined under this reference. In order for us
to process your request we are seeking clarification:
We have been asked by our Highways colleagues to see clarification as it
is not clear exactly what information you are requesting in the part
mentioned below. They have advised that depending on what information you
are requesting there may be a time period related to the request, and in
that case can you also please specify what time frame you are asking
about.
The part that they require clarification for, by way of further
information/explanation is:
‘Finally please supply for all footways in Frinton and Walton CC division
the (weighted) risk score determined by the process used to analyse the
network.’
Your request will be closed in its entirety at this stage and logged as a
new request once we receive such clarification from yourself.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [1][email address]
W: [2]www.essex.gov.uk
[3][IMG][4][IMG][5][IMG][6]WEISF_Email_Signature_Icon
From: Your Right To Know
Sent: 17 October 2022 16:50
To: Mr R H K Everett <[7][FOI #908042 email]>
Subject: EIR Acknowledgement ECC
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your two further requests for information which we will
handle under the Environmental Information Regulations 2005.
We have added those on the attached email to those below and logged as one
request.
The Regulation allows us up to 20 working days (excluding statutory
holidays), with an additional 20 working days for voluminous or complex
requests, to process a valid request for information. We will inform you
if we require the additional time for your request.
We may be in touch with you should we require any further clarification.
We will determine and let you know whether we hold the information you
have requested and consider whether we are able to release the information
or if it is exempt from disclosure.
ECC does not usually charge for providing information to its requestors as
the provision of electronic copies is negligible, however under certain
circumstances we may have to do so if providing the information costs more
than £25. We will let you know before we do any work that would incur a
charge.
Please note that the response and data released to you as part of this
request will be published on the Essex County Council website. The website
address is [8]https://secureapps.essex.gov.uk/Freedom_... All
requests will be anonymised and no personal information including contact
details will be disclosed as part of this process.
Please contact me if you would like further advice or assistance about
your request, or your right to access information held by Essex County
Council.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [9][email address]
W: [10]www.essex.gov.uk
[11][IMG][12][IMG][13][IMG][14]WEISF_Email_Signature_Icon
Dear Your Right To Know,
You asked for clarification from Highways regarding:
‘Finally please supply for all footways in Frinton and Walton CC division the (weighted) risk score determined by the process used to analyse the network.’
The concept of a weighted risk score should not be confusing to a competent highways department as it is common parlance used by the UK Roads Liaison Group - Footway and Cycletrack Management Group in their publication "Asset Management guidance for footways and cycle routes - an approach to risk based maintenance management" This national guidance advises on the approach to be taken in formulating risk based maintenance management. In that guidance it defines that the weighted risk score is made up of the weighting for each risk factor combined with the score. Data will need to be provided for each road (or group/band/category of roads).
In terms of timescales the most recent completed analysis would be the appropriate one to provide but please indicate on the response the date of the analysis and that historic analysis exists (but the historic data does not need to be stated).
Yours sincerely,
Mr R H K Everett
Good morning,
Thank you for the clarification - we have reopened the original request under existing reference number above.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [email address]
W: www.essex.gov.uk
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your request for information. Please find our response to
your request on the accompanying document(s).
I trust that this information satisfies your request. However, should you
require anything further, please contact me and I will endeavour to assist
you further.
if you are not satisfied with your response, please contact me so I can
try to resolve the issue. Alternatively, if you wish to make a complaint,
you can find the details at
[1]https://www.essex.gov.uk/Your-Council/Yo...
If, after following our complaints procedure, you are still not satisfied,
you are entitled to ask the Information Commissioner to review our
decision. You can contact the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF; Telephone 0303 123 1113.
Please note that the response and data released to you as part of this
request will be published on the Essex County Council website. The website
address is
[2]https://www.essex.gov.uk/Your-Council/Yo....
All requests will be anonymised and no personal information including
contact details will be disclosed as part of this process.
If you would like to take a short customer satisfaction survey please use
the link below
[3]https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/infor...
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [4][email address]
W: [5]www.essex.gov.uk
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______________________
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Dear Essex County Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Essex County Council's handling of my FOI request 'Hierarchy of footways in Frinton and Walton'.
Questions 2 and 4 have not been responded to appropriately
Q2 ask for the factors taken into account in developing the hierarchy categories - this is responded to regarding the example (pedestrian counts) not being used but does not state what factors were used in the development of the categories. The factors that were used may, or may not, include asset age, general condition, construction type, trees, history of defects etc etc. The factors used need to be disclosed.
Q4 ask for risk factors affecting probability of a risk occurring and the weight given to them. The web references given do not give that information. The example of a pair wise comparison is given as a possible method but if this was not used then the method used needs to be stated and justification for not using the UK Roads Liaison Groups guidance needs to be identified.
Your ref ECC13591617 10 22 A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...
Yours faithfully,
Mr R H K Everett
Dear Mr Everett,
Thank you for your email.
Would you be happy for me to send these questions to Essex Highways as a follow up enquiry in the first instance, to see if they can answer them in any more detail, or do you wish us to record immediately as an internal Review?
We await your instruction.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [email address]
W: www.essex.gov.uk
Dear Trevor Anthony-Jones - Information Governance Assistant,
In response to your question I would be happy for any mechanism that gets the information required. If referring it back to them does the trick then I'm content.
Yours sincerely,
Mr R H K Everett
Dear Mr Everett,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately I was out of office since mid-morning last Wednesday and you
replied to my individual work email address rather than the group one
below - my individual email is not monitored in my absence so we have only
picked up your reply this morning.
I shall contact Essex Highways today and hope to respond with your enquiry
as soon as possible.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [1][email address]
W: [2]www.essex.gov.uk
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Dear Mr Everett,
I have today been provided with the following information with regard to
your follow up enquiry:
Q2 ask for the factors taken into account in developing the hierarchy
categories - this is responded to regarding the example (pedestrian
counts) not being used but does not state what factors were used in the
development of the categories. The factors that were used may, or may not,
include asset age, general condition, construction type, trees, history of
defects etc. The factors used need to be disclosed.
The hierarchy is based on the use of the footway as shown in the Essex
Description and we group footways into three categories as shown below.
Q4 ask for risk factors affecting probability of a risk occurring and the
weight given to them. The web references given do not give that
information. The example of a pair wise comparison is given as a possible
method but if this was not used then the method used needs to be stated
and justification for not using the UK Roads Liaison Groups guidance needs
to be identified.
We use the word ‘likelihood’ rather than ‘probability’ and the weight
given to them are a score of between 1 and 4 depending on the likelihood
of a highway user interacting with the defect.
1.5.2. Likelihood
The likelihood of a highway user interacting with the defect shall be
quantified on a scale of 1 to 4.
Considerations will include the following;
• Its location in the highway, considering all highway users
• Local facilities e.g. schools, hospitals
• Other factors within the knowledge of the inspector
1. Very Low likelihood (up to 40% of users)
2. Low likelihood (41 to 60% of users)
3. Medium likelihood (61 to 80% of users)
4. High likelihood (over 80% of users)
This is paired with the consequence score.
1.5.1. Consequence
The Inspector will conduct an assessment which considers the most likely
outcome if there is an interaction by a highway user with the defect.
Examples of factors that an Inspector will consider are:
• The type of highway user likely to interact with the defect e.g. a
pedestrian or cyclist, who would be more vulnerable to be caused
personal injury
• Any other circumstances that would increase the likely consequence of
an interaction e.g. a trip defect located at the top of steps
The likely consequence of an interaction by a highway user will be
quantified by the Inspector using their experience and judgement on a
scale of 1 to 4:
1. Negligible consequence e.g. minor jarring to the occupants of a
vehicle
2. Minor consequence e.g. dented or scuffed wheel rim on a vehicle
3. Noticeable consequence e.g. a burst tyre on the vehicle
4. Serious consequence e.g. vehicle incurs major damage
We do not hold a justification for not using the UK Roads Liaison Groups
2018 guidance and therefore are unable to supply you with a copy of the
justification for not using the UK Roads Liaison Groups guidance.
However, when developing the risk-based assessment process following the
publication of the ‘Well-managed highway infrastructure’ in November 2016,
the 2018 guidance document had not yet been produced. Essex Highways had
already implemented risk based assessments following the publication of
Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance Management published in 2005 as
shown in our [1]Essex Highway Maintenance Strategy - 2008.
I hope that this assists with your enquiry.
Kind Regards
Trevor Anthony-Jones
Your Right To Know
External IG Team
Democracy and Transparency
Corporate and Customer Services
Essex County Council
T: 03330 138989
E: [2][email address]
W: [3]www.essex.gov.uk
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