Call for urgent pot hole review!

A councillor has called for an urgent pot hole review on roads and

pavements in three Warrington villages following complaints from

concerned residents.
Cllr Chris Vobe (pictured above) has written to the council’s Chief Executive Steven Broomhead and Assistant Director Andy Farrall to convey the concerns of “dozens” of local residents in Culcheth, Croft and Glazebury, over the poor condition of the highways throughout the villages.
In his letter, Cllr Vobe states that the number of pot holes in the villages are on the increase, and residents who have contacted him are increasingly worried that not everything is being done to address the problems in the best possible way.
Cllr Vobe’s letter to Professor Broomhead says:“It is very clear, from even a cursory examination of my ward, that the need for improvements to many of our roads is paramount. In Culcheth village, the Newchurch and Hob Hey areas in particular have suffered from considerable deterioration over a period of time, and little seems to have been done to rectify the situation. Common Lane is especially badly affected.
“In Croft, there are areas of the village which have been flagged up with the authority on a number of occasions yet, despite assurances to the contrary, are still awaiting repairs. Lady Lane is an example of this.”
He also states that there are areas of Culcheth village where work has been carried out, but repairs have had to be re-visited after just a few weeks when the newly-laid tarmac has broken up and caused further damage. He says this does not represent good value for taxpayers’ money and needs to be reviewed.
He goes on to particularly highlight the council’s policy of repairing pot holes of a certain depth. He claims that frustration about this is becoming more and more commonplace, stating: “Whilst in the case of individual defects, this could be defended, however in areas like Hob Hey Lane or Kenyon Lane where there are vast numbers of pot holes “clustered” together, repairing only those of a certain depth and leaving others is, in the end, presenting the public with a road surface just as uneven (if not more so) than before such works were carried out, and represents considerable hazards to cyclists.”
Cllr Vobe concluded his letter by asking Professor Broomhead to carry out a complete review of the roads in all three villages, to assess the condition of every one, with a view to repairing as many pot holes as possible. He says that the scheme should be carried out “with a view to residents being able to clearly see some tangible results at the conclusion of the process.”
He has provided the authority with a list of the eleven roads which he believes should be given particular consideration if a review is carried out.
Cllr Vobe added:“There is no question that the condition of many of our roads is becoming more and more intolerable for residents in the village. The last council administration neglected Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft when it came to repairs, preferring instead to invest their money south of the ship canal. Labour is doing all it can to redress that balance.
“It is paramount that we focus now on delivering the best possible highways that we can. This job is made more difficult by the savage cuts imposed on the council by the Coalition Government, which could have been used on these much-needed repairs.
“I have asked the council now to instigate a complete review of the road system in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft – not just the main arterial routes, but each and every side road. I want to see a proper analysis conducted of the damage which currently exists, and a forward plan created on how these can be repaired.”