Potholes Will Not be Repaired!
Potholes and road damage caused by the extreme winter weather could be left un-repaired for months, a highways chief has admitted.
Heavy snow and rainfall during January and February left some of the county’s roads in dire condition, posing a hazard to motorists and pedest- rians.
Gloucestershire County Council committed £500,000 to spend on repairs with Coun Stan Waddington, cabinet member for environment, calling for patience whilst work was undertaken.
But it now looks as if residential roads may be left to deteriorate further after a Gloucestershire Highways boss admitted prioritising the worst hit areas meant less-used roads will be left out.
Prestbury is one of the areas where roads have been particularly badly hit, and residents have been calling for improve- ments to be made.
Stephen Burden, Gloucestershire Highways area manager for Cheltenham, was at a parish council meeting on Monday, and left residents in disbelief when he said some of the village’s roads were not busy enough to be given high priority.
He told the meeting: “Due to the freezing cold weather during the winter, the condition of some of the road surfaces has worsened. But with the resources and funding available we have to concentrate on repairing the more well-used roads first.
“Unfortunately this may mean we have to leave the quieter residential roads for the time being.”
Gloucestershire County Council said it prioritised repairs on routes which were deemed ‘dangerous’, as well as main roads and those near the town centre.
But residential roads such as Fir Tree Close in Prestbury, which has suffered notable deterioration and has potholes more than two inches deep, are not on the list.
Mr Burden admitted: “At this time I cannot say when Fir Tree Close will be repaired. Although it may have deteriorated lately, if it is deemed to be safe then we have to prioritise other, busier areas.”
Coun David Prince, county councillor for Oakley, Pittville and Prestbury, said: “While I have the greatest respect for Mr Burden, I’m not happy with the answers he’s given.
“The holes in Fir Tree Close are well over 40mm which is supposed to be the acceptable limit, and it is going to get worse. I understand the need to prioritise main roads, but I think this is unacceptable.
“Just how bad does a road have to get before anything will be done about it?
“Some money needs to be pumped into improving the county’s road network and it needs to happen soon.”
Parish Council chairman Malcolm Stennett added: “We realise we cannot pin Gloucestershire Highways down for every little detail, but we want to know when the condition of our roads will improve.”
The county council said Gloucestershire Highways has repaired about 1,300 potholes a week since the cold snap, and that the county’s roads are improving as a result.
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