MILLIONS TO IMPROVE DODGY PAVEMENTS

AN extra £2 million is to be pumped into improving dodgy pavements in Coventry.

There will be 19 footpaths upgraded after the city council was given £2.06m from the government’s Challenge Fund.

Improvements will be particularly focused on areas used by vulnerable residents, while some road improvements will also be carried out where a need has been identified.

It is hoped the improvements will encourage people to continue walking after a boost in numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cllr Pat Hetherton, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for city services, said: “This additional funding will allow us to keep encouraging local people to get active and walk around the city on routes that are smooth and safe for all pedestrians. We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of residents travelling on foot over the last few months and we want to make it as easy as possible for people to continue getting out and about in their local areas - and a great way of doing this is by improving the quality of pavements across the city.”

Schemes will be completed throughout 2021 following local consultations. They include:

Attoxhall Road - Wyken Avon Street Upper Stoke Belgrave Road - Wyken Bredon Avenue Binley & Willenhall Deerdale Way - Binley & Willenhall Exminster Road - Cheylesmore Fenside Avenue - Cheylesmore Harry Rose Road - Wyken Langbank Avenue - Binley & Willenhall.

Longfellow Road - Lower Stoke Mantilla Drive - Wainbody Princethorpe Way - Binley & Willenhall Quorn Way - Binley & Willenhall St James Lane - Binley & Willenhall Wallace Road - Bablake Whitaker Road - Whoberley Willenhall Lane - Binley & Willenhall William Bristow Road Cheylesmore Winsford Avenue - Whoberley The funding will be approved by the council’s cabinet on Tuesday.

The money is on top of £10.9 funding announced in March as part of the Transportation and Highway Maintenance Capital Programme. Potholes, dodgy roads and displaced pavement slabs will all be tackled in the “prioritised programme” of works which focuses on some of the most badly-damaged streets in the city.

This additional funding will allow us to keep encouraging local people to get active... Cllr Pat Hetherton