42 C O N T E X T 1 3 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 Time •• Delegates suggested that the time allowed to undertake the repair to areas of more complicated traditional streets was often inadequate.This could result in work being rushed in order to meet tight deadlines. Continuity •• Delegates suggested that problems of continuity could arise because they could be pulled off a job in order to undertake emergency repairs. Storage •• Delegates suggested that due to the lack of storage facilities, traditional surfacing materials, such as Dennerhill setts, had not been retained for future use. •• Transport for Buckinghamshire holds small stocks of material and can accommodate more, but it does not have the budget to order in holding stock of specific conservation materials. Temporary repairs •• There are many examples in Aylesbury Conservation Area where asphalt has been used to patch areas of historic street surfaces in order to prevent a trip hazard. These short-term repairs sometimes remain in place for a long time. •• If a pothole is classified as a Category 1 safety issue, there is no alternative in the short term but to use asphalt until an appropriate conservation repair can be undertaken. Lack of resources •• Pressures on scarce resources mean that money is primarily directed towards short-term priorities such as safety. The lack of investment in conservation area highway-related works can have negative implications. Poor-quality work can result in the additional cost of redoing jobs that have not been executed correctly first time round. Utility companies •• There were problems with monitoring the quality of reinstatement work done by utility companies. In the afternoon delegates were taken to Hartwell House in Stone to gain first-hand experience of laying Dennerhill setts, river-washed cobbles and randomrubble limestone, the three traditional forms of paving in the AylesburyVale area.This hands-on training was led by NationalTrust stonemasons fromHardwick Hall. A third project focused on traffic in Turweston, a village at the far north-western corner of Aylesbury Vale District, a short distance to the east of Brackley, over the border in Northamptonshire. Stone built and situated on a gentle slope down to the river Ouse, it is a village of great charm. Turweston was designated as a conservation area in 1967.The designation covers virtually the whole village. Brackley is located outside Aylesbury Vale in the district of South Northamptonshire. Two sites have been identified for development on the eastern side of Brackley which are likely to have a significant impact in terms of traffic generation throughTurweston. Part of the grant award from English Heritage has been used to employ the consultant Colin Davis to design a traffic mitigation scheme which will enhance the visual appearance of the village, while reducing traffic speed and volume. These measures will be achieved through the implementation of a 20mph speed limit, and through relatively low-cost and subtle alterations to the layout, form and materials of the highway and its borders, removing unnecessary signage and street clutter. A fourth project takes a holistic approach to the removal of extraneous signage in Aylesbury and Buckingham conservation areas. Officers from Aylesbury Vale District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and Transport for Buckinghamshire meet regularly for walk-and-talk sessions. A schedule of works has been drawn up and is being implemented. There is still a long way to go to reach the point where the complex impact of highway works on subjective and difficult-to-quantify factors such as economic health, significance, visual quality, attractiveness and setting are understood and fully taken into account in all decision processes.We are also some way off seeing the historic environment as an asset, the management of all aspects of which is a shared responsibility which benefits from the free exchange of ideas between specialists, residents and users. Cars and floorscape at Frederick Street, Waddesdon Poorly re-instated Yorkstone paving Freya Morris is conservation areas officer with Aylesbury Vale District Council.
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