Why did this screen cost us £14,000? (From This Is Local London)

Why did this screen cost us £14,000?

11:48am Friday 20th July 2012 in Colin Baker

I WAS pleased to learn that the screen erected on the A4155 roundabout in Marlow has helped to reduce accidents.

In your Marlow Free Press article of July 13, you quote an installation cost of £14,000 for the green wall. Whilst this was being installed, I asked the contractors’ staff how much each green panel cost and was told £100 each. There are 32 panels and 33 posts. If the posts cost £50 each and the four man days to install them cost £1,000 we have a total cost of under £6,000. Will Transport for Bucks please explain where the other £8,000 went?

Perhaps Mr Chapman, who you quote in your article, will also tell us how much extra pollution and carbon dioxide will be produced each year due to each car now having to brake and then accelerate away when previously, with an unobstructed view it was usually possible to join the roundabout without braking.

Martin Blunkell, Rookery Court, Marlow 

 

Editor’s note: Officials tell us the cost of the ivy screens was £9,100 for materials, plant/equipment, labour and traffic management. Difficult ground conditions added a further £1,000 for labour.

A two-year maintenance contract for cutting and watering to establish the plants costs £3,900. The total is £14,000.