Councillor fed up with all potholes
Calderdale’s ward councillors keep receiving complaints from their constituents about potholes and one has demanded to know what action is being taken.
A fed-up Coun Paul Bellenger (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) told a meeting of the full Calderdale Council: “I’m going to start directing them all here to put in a claim for new tyres.”
Coun Bellenger said when he last raised the issue at November’s meeting of the full council, the government was releasing some money for pothole and road repairs.
The issue was brought up so many times by Calderdale residents, with some potholes categorised as quite dangerous.
“I’d like to know whereabouts we actually are with making improvements to our roads throughout Calderdale because again we saw many people complaining, having to take their cars in for repairs and tyre repairs.
"Please, somebody, explain where we’re at?” he said.
Cabinet member for public services and communities,
Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said scrutiny councillors had recently received a presentation on how the issues were tackled with resources available and she would make sure he was sent a copy.
“We went through, and in some detail, prioritisation, policies relating to the different categories of potholes.
"I can assure you we do have a rigorous process, a rigorous policy, of trying to deal with an emergency with damage to roads,” she said.
Recently, damage to a road in Halifax’s Shibden Valley caused by a falling tree had been made safe in 24 hours and repaired within a week, said Coun Lynn.
“I do recognise that there are issues with potholes, but we do have, I think, a robust system,” she said.