Following the severe winter weather the surfaces of many local roads have clearly been damaged and we have received a number of complaints from our readers regarding the state of some roads in the village.
Peter Liddle said "I should like to draw attention to the poor condition of Chorley Hall Lane and parts of Wilmslow Road. Vehicles are beginning to dodge the potholes to avoid damage to their vehicle and in my opinion this is dangerous and will eventually lead to an accident. Do we have to wait for this to happen before the roads are made safe for drivers?"
Cheshire East Council saw a 100% increase in pothole reports following the heavy snow and freezing temperatures experienced last winter and in April they received £900,000 from the Government to repair damaged roads. So I contacted Cheshire East this week to enquire whether any work was planned to repair the damage to road surfaces in the Alderley Edge area.
Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility with environmental services, said: "The highway network has suffered damage from the severe weather over the November and December period. We invested additional funds following last year's harsh winter conditions, which helped our engineers carry out much need repairs.
"We are assessing the current damage and we are experiencing a significant increase in the number of reported defects which are being dealt with on a priority basis. However, it will take some time to complete all the required repairs."
When the full Council meets on February 24th they are being asked to endorse a further investment to deal with the damaged road network.
Councillor Rod Menlove has submitted a Notice of Motion requesting that the Council endorses an immediate investment of up to a further £500,000 because the extent of carriageway deterioration is far beyond the resources available for road maintenance.
He is also recommending to the Council that "a submission be made to central government to request significant financial support, at least to the level of last year's winter impact grant, given the evident major damage to road surfaces and the challenges of meeting the required expenditure from the Council's resources."
Local residents are encouraged to report any defects via Cheshire East's online fault reporting page or by calling 0300 123 5020. I have been informed an inspection of the particular area will then be arranged and appropriate action should be taken.
Comments
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One only has to look at 'the quality' of the repairs in terms of longevity vs. speed of repair, along with 'value for money' to see that the balance is just so wrong.
How long has it been since temporary lights have been across the junctions of Hays Lane, Ryleys Lane, Brook Lane for 'whatever repairs' to water, electrical mains supply, fibre optics etc,....... 2 weeks perhaps? And yet that stretch of tarmac is shot.
It wasn't so long ago when the temporary lights went as far as Ryley's playing fileds on London Rd. and just 'feel' the state of dis-repair as you drive towards Wilmslow.
The Council need to contact some retired and bored civil engineers who, 'free of charge', would gladly offer a better solution and ensure 3rd Party contractors return the roads to an acceptable condition. That's assuming they don't have to complete a 100 page tender and risk assessment document.
Central Government has announced £100m of funding to councils to help them deal with potholes and ravaged road surfaces, of which Cheshire East expects to receive around £860,000.