POOR road surfaces, dirty road signs and worn-out white lines all feature in calls to local councillors  – and according to some the situation is getting worse.

But the state of the area’s road has been defended by BCP Cabinet members although even they admit that contacting the council to report faults can be difficult.

One councillor, Tony Trent told of road repairs and re-surfacing in his ward having to be repeated because the jobs were so badly done to begin with.

He told of one area in his Alderney and Bourne Valley ward where nothing was changed on the surface of a pavement to be re-surfaced before a tarmac slurry was spread across it – covering weeds, twigs and even drains.

Other councillors have spoken of road signs so dirty they could hardly be read and white lines so faint they could barely be seen.

Cllr Lesley  Dedman said she had been tempted to take her own mop and bucket to a road sign on the Christchurch bypass because it was so bad – but was advised against it because of the obvious dangers.

Cabinet member Mark Anderson said the council was still getting to grips with different reporting methods for faults, inherited from the previous councils, and suggested everyone should use the online tool to report problems. He admitted some reporting could be ‘clunky.’

Cllr Anderson said money had been invested in the system, including a 25per cent increase in gully cleaning in the Christchurch area, and there was now a better inspection regime in place. Across the council area there are between 58,000 and 70,000 gullies which need inspecting, at least annually and at any one time there could be up to 100,000 requests for repairs or improvements.

Mr Anderson, the portfolio holder for environment, cleaning and waste, said a priority listing was being sorted out to clean signs – which would concentrate on key routes to begin with.

Highways officer Simon Legg said there were pressures on the system, including clearing vegetation from paths and cycleways, dealing with a handful of sinkholes across the area and trying to sort out damage caused to pavements and roads by developers carrying out building work.

“There are some who come back and make repairs but not all do…it’s by no means a perfect system,” he said.

In response to a question about white lines he said he was confident re-painting would improve with the appointment of a new contractor although the system for road lines work was also not yet integrated across the area.

Cllr Trent claimed much of the problem with road repairs and maintenance was that it was carried out to a price, rather than ensuring quality work to begin with. He said of four roads in his ward which had generated complaints, two had to be completely re-done because the initial job was so poor. In one road re-surfacing was carried out but just yards away a drain was ignored, which now has thick vegetation growing out of it.

Portfolio holder for transport and sustainability Cllr Mike Greene said that despite some local problems the Government was satisfied with the service and had given it a clean bill of health – and funding.

“I’m happy with the officers in the way they are carrying out their duties – they are doing it diligently and well and within the budget we are getting a good service,” he said.

But Cllr Mike Cox (Christchurch town) said all the Government did was lay down an absolute minimum standard: “It’s pretty shoddy and the roads are a disgrace in many respects…we should expect more and demand more,” he said.