WILTSHIRE’S pothole priorities have been called into question after a team of workmen spent three weeks replacing the pavement in a no through road.
Laverstock resident Stephen Williamson said there was plenty of more urgent work for the gang from Balfour Beatty, the contractors tasked with repairing Salisbury’s roads, to get on with than that needed in Riverside Close.
“Riverside Close is a cul-de-sac of very expensive houses,” he pointed out.
“There is no through vehicle or pedestrian traffic.
“At a time when many well-trodden pavements in Laverstock are in a dangerous condition, likewise many roads around Salisbury, why should Wiltshire Council give precedence to this road?
“There are still a great number of potholes being repaired by ‘patching’ while this road gets the full treatment.”
But the council said the pavement was a hazard, and “the most urgent work is always prioritised”.
A spokesman added that people had been complaining about the pavement in Riverside Close for years but there had been no money to repair it until now.
It was damp and mossy, with raised drain covers, and the paving had sunk so that the kerb was a trip hazard.
Priorities for pavement repairs had to be assessed as well as those for roads, he said.
“It’s a juggling act. The priorities are set locally, and we encourage people to get involved through their area boards.”
“We’re spending a lot of money on roads over the next few years. We are patching potholes, but have a huge programme of works planned.”
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