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‘Barely enough cash to keep roads safe’
4:00pm Thursday 24th July 2008
Comments (14)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.
Your Say YourBournemouth Echo
RichT, Christchurch says...
4:47pm Thu 24 Jul 08
john, christchurch says...
4:53pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Cllr Julie Petrie said there were weeds and sand in the gutter and they could be removed cheaply. as i recall civic center was quite functional yet hundreds of thousands was spent to give the staff a nice view,would it not be easier to remove the weeds and deadwood on the council thus saving money which could be added to road budget,and probably enough left over to award them selves another nice expenses rise
Sarah, Bournemouth says...
6:08pm Thu 24 Jul 08
nny that, eh?
dancingdog777, Christchurch says...
6:48pm Thu 24 Jul 08
RichT wrote:There is no point, it's just a cosmetic waste of money!
I've noticed plenty of unneccessary "improvements". I was recently driving along Hurn Road and Fairmile Road, and saw they'd put green tarmac strips at almost every road end leading onto the main road. Can anyone tell me what the point of those was?
counciljoke, christchurch says...
10:13pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Council = WASTERS
Carl Barron, Dorset says...
12:29pm Fri 25 Jul 08
Reply If Tory Town Christchurch , had not wasted the millions and millions of pounds spent on stupid road works they would have plenty of money for these protects and the Town would not be seen as almost a NO GO AREA for motorist,
Just one vote from a councillor stopped the link into the Spur Road from going ahead.
Central government has repeatedly offered finance's for the link from Stony lane to the Spur road and repeatedly the Tories have refused that money.
Instead they hand out contracts for useless road works. So typical of a Tory Brain no sense at all as far as the public can see.
Take Barrack Road for instance four lanes going into two lanes , did these Tories never go to School?
Four into two doesn't' go, repeat Four into two doesn't' go, repeat Four into two doesn't' go.
Then there's the Tory mess up of the Stony lane Roundabout remember that one folks?
They the Tories, decided to give preference to traffic coming from the LEFT in stark contrast to the Highway Code.
Hence after too many crashes due to thier stupid decision, they resurface the area again at around a cost of approximately 200 Thousand Pounds.
Tory Town Christchurch has perhaps the only (so called) bypass that feeds all traffic directly into the town.
Now the Tories want your Vote. Well if this is how the carry on with your MONEY it wont go far will it?
Why Cameron can't ever ride a Bike without braking the Law by cycling the wrong way, or now saving someone's stole his Bike of late he probably forgot to lock it up.
the fanman, Christchurch says...
2:00pm Fri 25 Jul 08
Now come on Carl you know this is completely untrue the scheme was thrown out by Liberals at county.
Barrack Road was a County project not Christchurch. If money was offered by anyone for a spur road CBC would jump at it and the bypass was located where it it because the local tradesmen (Chamber of Commerce) insisted it came via their busnesses in the High Street.
Stoney Lane was sorted by the then port-folio holder for transport who was a Conservative Councillor. What on earth DC bike riding exploits have got to do with the price fish I do not know!
Congrats on Glasgow East!
bob_bournemouth, Christchurch says...
5:41pm Fri 25 Jul 08
What a total waste of money. How many road and pavement repairs could have been made with the money wasted on this idiotic scheme?
Carl Barron, Dorset says...
9:53pm Fri 25 Jul 08
Posted by: the fanman, Christchurch on 2:00pm today
Quote Just one vote from a councillor stopped the link into the Spur Road from going ahead.
Now come on Carl you know this is completely untrue the scheme was thrown out by Liberals at county.
Reply Not so, check it out with the Echo they published the story as to a single vote as to above.
I must have that web page saved to file somewhere , so I'll have a look later. Meanwhile you can ask if you like for clarification OK?
Can't help notice you didn't disagree as to the waste of PUBLIC Money as to:
They the Tories , decided to give preference to traffic coming from the LEFT in stark contrast to the Highway Code.
Also , Take Barrack Road for instance four lanes going into two lanes , did these Tories never go to School?
Four into two doesn't go, repeat Four into two doesn't go, repeat Four into two doesn't go.
the fanman, Christchurch says...
8:58am Sat 26 Jul 08
As I said Christchurch BC was not involved in the Barrack Rd design it came from County.
The Christchurch relief Road scheme was defeated at County hall by the casting vote of the Chairman of the County Highways Committee who was a Liberal County Councillor.That casting vote robbed Xch of the chance to create a by pass which would have enhanced the area.
I support all methods of accountancy transparancy that highlights waste of money and/or resourses. CBC have one of the most agressive Scrutiny Committees that do just that. With Central goverment policy of directing monies collected from the South being spent in the North you should be directing your complaints to them. In Christchurch there simply is not any money to waste!
Carl Barron, Dorset says...
4:47pm Sat 26 Jul 08
Posted by: the fanman, Christchurch on 8:58am today
Quote Item One: As I said Christchurch BC was not involved in the Barrack Rd design it came from County.
Quote Item Two: The Christchurch relief Road scheme was defeated at County hall by the casting vote of the Chairman of the County Highways Committee.
Quote Item Three: With Central government policy of directing Moines collected from the South being spent in the North you should be directing your complaints to them.
Reply Item One: Oh no of course you weren't involved at all were you? They D.C.C. submitted plans to you did they and you just nodded. I don't think so, neither does anyone else.
Reply Item Two: Relief Road scheme was defeated at County by just one VOTE?
So you blame D.C.C. for the fact you at C.B.C. are very poor negotiators at getting what you want more like.
Reply Item Three: Central government policy of directing Moines from the South spent in the North.
Is there any wonder when you waste what ever Moines you do get and blame others for the lack of funds.
You Tories haven't even got the courage of your own convictions hence you come here as an Alias fanman.
You Tories are soo transparent in what you do, you really are.
This thread should be Titled, ' Tory Town Wasters'.
Talking about wasting Public Moines by Tory C.B.C. view link below:
Copy paste link to browser to view Echo report on story as to Messed up Roundabout in Stony Lane.
http://dorsetvisualg
uide.co.uk/agpcuk_da
ta.htm
CDN, Dorset says...
7:10pm Mon 28 Jul 08
Carl Barron, Dorset says...
9:03pm Mon 28 Jul 08
Posted by: CDN, Dorset on 7:10pm today
Quote Many workers at the Christchurch Council, were, subject to a recent Job Evaluation where in fact many lost and were reduced in salary and have lost any protection of their salaries.
Reply Obviously I don't think Sarah, was at all referring to the lower paid ranks of Council employees
most have to struggle to live on a pittance compared with the High Ranking officials who some incidentally earn more per year then even the PM.
The Echo has done well in pointing out the huge gap in the report titled, ' Snouts in the trough claim over pay rises for councillors.
Copy paste link into browser from below:
http://www.bournemou
thecho.co.uk/news/po
olenews/display.var.
2407660.0.snouts_in_
the_trough_claim_ove
r_pay_rises_for_coun
cillors.php
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GRIFF, Christchurch says...
4:12pm Thu 24 Jul 08