What is a lengthsman?
Historically a lengthsman was a person tasked with keeping a length of road neat, tidy and passable. This was usually a road between nearby villages. In a more modern sense, it is someone appointed by a parish or town council to undertake small highway maintenance works within a specified area, usually the parish or town.
Why would a parish/town council want to get involved in the lengthsman scheme?
We have a limited budget and available resources to maintain the roads in Warwickshire. This means that certain critical/strategic activities have to be prioritised which doesn’t always leave resource available for other activities. The lengthsman scheme is a great way for local concerns to be dealt with quickly and effectively allowing us to focus on more strategic issues. Often lengthsman live in the area where they undertake their duties and so can react to things which are within their scope of works quicker than we can.
What can a lengthsman do?
Some examples of the work lengthsman undertake:
- Remove vegetation that is obstructing signs, blocking visibility at junctions and basal growth from trees
- Painting heritage cast iron directional signs (polo signs)
- Snow clearance and gritting/salting by hand
- Maintenance and repainting of highways approved visibility fencing
- Side out footways and deposit arisings on the verge
Why would someone want to be a lengthsman?
There are a number of reasons why someone would want to be involved:
- A sense of community spirit and helping to improve the local area
- A way to meet likeminded individuals
- A good way to get out into the fresh air and get exercise
How can the parish get involved?
The first step will be to download the “Parish information pack” linked below. This can be used as a basis for discussions within the parish. If you would like any more information please contact chpolicy@warwickshire.gov.uk