Witham: Councillor slams pothole priorities (From Braintree and Witham Times)
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Witham: Councillor slams pothole priorities
12:00am Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News
Witham: Councillor slams pothole priorities
Workmen fixed only one pothole in a street riddled with holes and craters, it has been claimed.
Councillor James Abbott has slammed Essex County Council after claiming he was told it is policy to only fix highest priority potholes, even if there are others nearby.
He estimates that are at least another dozen in Rickstones Road, Church Road and Oak Road in Rivenhall.
He said: “I just thought this is another expense and they are completely inefficient.
“I know they are tight for money but I think there is a better of working than that, you think they would do the whole lot.”
An Essex County Council spokesman said: “The last works undertaken at this site were by a utility company.
“An ECC officer has since inspected the site and identified some minor defects which will be repaired during the second phase of the pothole repair programme.
“In order to ensure safety and minimise disruption to the road network, the county council has to prioritise work on road defects that present the most immediate safety risk.
“Whilst on site the officer also observed there were no barriers or cones left on site by the previous workers.”
James Abbott says...
9:29pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Well what am I holding in the picture then ? That was one of about 20 signs left on site for a week, directing drivers when no-one was working there.
Some of the potholes on local roads and pavements in Rivenhall and Silver End (and elsewhere) are clearly "safety risks". They get reported time and again to ECC and nothing happens for months.
If ECC does not get its act together it should devolve the work (with the budget) to authorities that can do a better job.