Campaigntogetrid ofpotholes

June 1997

Arklow does not have a pothole candidate in this election but that does not mean that the town does not have a problem.

Lamberton Avenue views with the best to head the poll when it comes to potholes and the problem for people living there is that nobody appears to want to take responsibility for doing anything about them.

Lamberton Avenue resident Paddy Dempsey said that the Council declares that it does not own the Avenue, yet it has included the upgrading in the grant of permission for a 13 house scheme there.

This week he launched a campaign to highlight the dreadful condition of the entrance to Lamberton Avenue, which the potholes resemble craters measuring 4 to 6 ft in diameter and anything up to 8 inches deep.

He said that a lot of people use Lamberton Avenue for walks, including people pushing prams and wheelchairs, and in wet weather they would stand a better chance of swimming through the potholes rather than walking through them.

‘You would break your motor car driving on it at the moment,’ he said.

‘ The Council deny owning the Avenue or having anything to do with it, but somebody myst own it. Over the past 12 years I have been going out and filling in holes myself.’

Town Clerk Sean Quirke said: ‘ This is not a public road and the Council is not liable to carry out any repairs. It is not being maintained by the UDC.’