Potholes, not sledging, on my mind when it freezes
AS the mercury plummets in Cheltenham, what do your thoughts turn to?
The prospect of sledging down Cleeve Hill perhaps? A new coat from Cav House?
A warming hot chocolate in a Regent Street coffee shop?
I’m afraid I can’t avoid thinking about potholes.
As frost gets into the cracks we all know what the outcome will be. And as Echo readers may know, potholes are a particular bugbear of mine.
There’s positive news that Highways have agreed to my call for a January road-resurfacing blitz here in Cheltenham. Pittville Street, The Park, Sandford Street, Mitre Street, Princess Elizabeth Way, Hartlebury Way, Moors Avenue, Brook Road and Eldon Road will all be resurfaced this month.
Further stretches in the pipeline for the coming months include Queen’s Road, which is pretty bumpy in the stretch approaching the Texaco garage.
This ambitious programme of works marks a major step forward in our campaign to improve the condition of Cheltenham’s roads.
It comes after Gloucestershire was granted a further £87.9m in Government cash to fix potholes, redirected by the Prime Minister from spiralling HS2 costs.
That is extremely welcome here in Cheltenham. Improving roads is important for our image as well as for motorists, cyclists and others.
In the last few years, we’ve seen some real progress. I remember when Tommy Taylor’s Lane was practically undriveable, Vittoria Walk was full of deep potholes, and the Promenade really let the town down.
Now there has been resurfacing work to St James’ Square, Leckhampton Road, Montpellier Spa Road, Cleeveland Road and a huge stretch of the A40 leading into Cheltenham from the direction of Dunkerton’s at Dowdeswell reservoir.
In addition to persuading Highways to agree to a major programme of repairs in Cheltenham, we have also won the argument for proper resurfacing rather than short-term ‘cowpat’ repairs which simply wash out in the first frost.
With this major additional funding from HS2, I am confident that 2024 will be a vintage year for resurfacing.
Then perhaps, as the snow falls, I can start thinking about sledging instead.