‘Botched’ road resurfacing ‘went around a parked car’
COUNCILLOR SAYS SHE’S BEEN INUNDATED WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT WORK FROM RESIDENTS
HIGHWAYS officials in Nottinghamshire have been asked to apologise following claims that a road resurfacing job was “botched”.
A resident and a councillor have hit out at the “insulting” resurfacing work, which took place in Russell Street, Sutton-in-ashfield, on Saturday.
It is claimed that Via East Midlands officials, contracted by Nottinghamshire County Council, “failed” to correctly fill in potholes on the road and even resurfaced around a car.
However, bosses at the council have denied claims that the car was simply “avoided”.
It has also been claimed that resurfacing works are already falling apart, just days after the work took place.
Samantha Deakin, Ashfield Independents county councillor for Sutton Central and East, visited the site after being “inundated” with complaints and says the “shocking” work “beggars belief ”.
“This is shocking, embarrassing and frankly insulting,” she said. “This is the worst job I’ve seen as a councillor by a mile. This road has not been resurfaced for over 50 years and they’ve botched it.
“Who is their right minds thought this was acceptable? To just resurface around a parked car is disgusting. This beggars belief. The county council should apologise and put it right. Residents and I will not tolerate this.”
Ella Mason, a resident of Russell Street, described the work as “awful” and says people on her street feel “let down”. She said: “Is this what our council tax is paying for? The potholes are sinking already. I am not sure who they got to do this job but it’s awful. Residents feel very let down by the county council.”
Speaking following the calls for an apology, Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the county council’s highways committee, denied claims that the job was “botched”.
He said: “Once again the Ashfield Independents chase headlines rather than solutions. They seem to enjoy creating controversy, but there isn’t much substance behind the rhetoric.
“Russell Street in Sutton-in-ashfield was treated with micro-asphalt last week as part of our programme of improvements across the county.
“It is not the most aesthetically pleasing of treatments when it is first laid. However, over the following weeks and months, the surface blends with surrounding roads. Any tyre marks settle and ironworks are raised to be level with the road surface.
“We provide road users and residents in the area with advanced warning of the works, as well as erecting signs and cones to ask drivers not to park their vehicles. However we do sometimes have drivers who ignore these. “In this case we removed five vehicles from the street. However, the remaining vehicle had been involved in an incident attended by police and as such, a decision was taken not to move the vehicle due to the possibility it may be part of an ongoing investigation. Our contractors will return to treat the area where the vehicle was parked as soon as possible.”