‘Barely enough cash to keep roads safe’ (From Bournemouth Echo)

‘Barely enough cash to keep roads safe’

4:00pm Thursday 24th July 2008 in

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THERE is no money in Christchurch council coffers for cosmetic street and pavement resurfacing, residents were told.

In fact there is barely enough money available to keep the road network safe.

A total 23 people from Burnett Avenue signed a petition asking for improvements to be made to the road and pavements.

"These have been patched many times but, so far as memory serves, have not had replacement in over 50 years," they said.

Borough council transporation and highways manager Bob Baker told the community services committee: "There's no money to resurface it just because it doesn't look nice, basically."

Committee chairman Cllr Sally Derham Wilkes said she hoped residents understood the council would like to do work there, and elsewhere, but there was no money in the budget.

Mr Baker softened the blow by saying there was a substantial backlog of resurfacing work county-wide.

The borough council had been asked that afternoon, by Dorset Council Council, to draw up a wish list to bid for a pot of money set aside specifically for repairs based on "engineering need and what the county describe as political wish".

Cllr Dave Davies said Burnett Avenue is "like a patchwork quilt, but it is functional".

Cllr Julie Petrie said there were weeds and sand in the gutter and they could be removed cheaply.

"What I'm asking is that we don't forget this avenue, just because it's not a primary route," she said.

"There are signs of wear and tear and we have to keep an eye on them."

Mr Baker said it was difficult to keep an eye on a maintenance budget that went down every year and he warned there are roads in the borough which would fall to pieces and people will trip or drive into holes.

"At the moment we barely have enough money to keep the road network safe and I was grateful this afternoon to have words with the county," he said.

Council leader Cllr Alan Griffiths agreed it would be possible to look at carrying out weed control in Burnett Avenue.