Councillors criticise Telford’s potholed roads
Friday 21st January 2011, 3:22PM GMT.
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Two councillors today hit out at the potholed state of Telford & Wrekin’s roads.
The attacks followed a survey by the AA which listed Telford as one of the worst in the UK for potholes.
Borough councillor Angela McClements said she agreed with the analysis, having last year compiled her own survey in her Arleston ward.
Wellington Town Council member Pat McCarthy said residents in his College East ward were equally outraged at the state of their roads.
Both councillors spoke out as a response to a Freedom of Information request today revealed about 1,500 complaints about potholes during a Telford & Wrekin Council pothole buster campaign from January 29 to March 31 last year.
It led to 11,500 potholes being repaired in total at a cost of £120,000.
Councillor McClements said: “I received an overwhelming response from residents on the Arleston Estate to my survey.
“One of their main concerns was that the council’s pothole buster campaign was just a quick fix and doesn’t last — and I have to agree with them.”
Councillor Adrian Lawrence, cabinet member for regeneration, today said investment in and maintenance of the roads remained one of the authority’s top priorities. But it was dealing with a legacy of decades of under-investment.
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Because of course it was all so different under Labour in the Wrekin, wasn’t it?
I remember potholes in pavement and roads under Labour that were not fixed for over 20 years! Pity Labour councillors have only just noticed potholes…
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This is the finest example of partisan political electioneering as the election time table is posted for council elections in May.
T&W Officer’s have asiduously implemented repair thoughout the bourough of the issue concerned ,openly inviting the general public to inform of where these pot holes are making assessment and instructing necessary repair. These Coucillors know this but instead of actively promoting the work being made by the council to resolve these issues they choose to act in obsequious disdain of the efforts being made as a result of the extreme weather conditions we have experienced recently.
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If you want to see some real potholes then walk along the road off School Road/ Queens Road called the Fields in Donnington. There you’ll see probably a couple of thousand of potholes. It’s got to be the worst road in Telford – check it out.
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Oh Matt… are you the same Matt that blames everything on the former Lab Govt or council?
potholed roads are a major problem – we all agree… but the council short term fixes is not the answer. Why is the council cutting the Highways budget?
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Heather, I lived in Telford under the control of Labour from when WDC came into being. They ‘governed’ the area with a combination of ineptitude, bias, malice and petty spite.
What’s not to blame them for?
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Probably because instead of fixing the roads previous Labour led councils spent all the money , its a simple fact that we are now all burdened by interest payments to cover the structural deficit left by Labour governance. This should not be , we were assured of prudent fiscal policy, no more boom and bust , but guess what ? The state of England is getting so bad and the alternative is so much worse.
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Simon, you make a good point.
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