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Kidderminster - a town full of potholes?

Potholes in Kidderminster's roads are getting worse - despite an extra £15 million earmarked for road maintenance, it is claimed.

And there is little sign of repairs being carried out, claim Wyre Forest councillors who are now calling for action.

Councillors claim Worcestershire County Council has failed to come up with an effective plan to address the quality of roads in the town.

They want measures such as the setting up of Home Zones, stretches with 20mph speed restrictions, to be introduced in some parts of the town.

They have suggested drawing up a plan for presentation to county highway chiefs on where road works are needed and say a town survey would highlight the problems and locations of potholes.

They are also concerned that traffic-calming schemes introduced in parts of the town include speed humps, which they claim are "crude and archaic forms of traffic control".

Instead they would like to see Home Zones introduced to enable local residents to reclaim their estates from speeding motorists.

The consultation document has been drawn up by councillors Helen Dyke and Fran Oborski.

In the report they call for action to address the pothole problem because they claim Worcestershire County Council has "not come up with an effective plan to address the problem".

Councillor Fran Oborski, in the document, says a town survey should be considered.

She said: "Speed humps are crude and archaic forms of traffic-calming that slow traffic but damage cars and do nothing for pedestrians.

"Kidderminster's older side streets have narrow pavements introduced in the days when the car was king.

"We think it is time those residential streets were given back to the residents."

Worcestershire County Council was unavailable for comment.

Source: Express & Star

http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/06/25/potholes-are-getting-worse/

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From Express & Star:

http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/06/30/33m-spend-on-potholes/


An extra £3.3 million is to be spent on filling potholes and improving roads in the Wyre Forest district.

It follows criticisism of Worcestershire County Council for not doing enough to patch up the roads. Members of Wyre Forest council said the state of the roads was getting worse despite an extra £15 million being earmarked by the county for road maintenance.

Councillors Fran Oborski and Helen Dyke were both concerned that there was “little sign of repairs being carried out in Kidderminster” and that county colleagues had failed to come up with an effective plan to tackle the problem.

But county councillor Derek Prodger, cabinet member for highways, today said an extra £3.3m package of funding had been agreed for the Wyre Forest district.

He said: “We have already spent £500,000 on filling potholes in the Wyre Forest district, including Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley.

“I have also agreed a package for the Wyre Forest district of £2.8m extra spend, of which £1.8m of that will be allocated in Kidderminster and £1m for Stourport and Bewdley.

“If you add that together, we are committed to spending a total of £3.3m in the Wyre Forest.

“As a cabinet member, I think we have been very fair with a limited budget.

“The district is getting one hell of a chunk of resources into Kidderminster and the Wyre Forest area and we are supporting that to the tune of £3.3m.

“I am disappointed I haven’t another £100m to spend but I have not got the money.

“We have been very fair to the Wyre Forest district in spending the money as wisely as we can.

“I think that £3.3m is a substantial amount of money to be spent on highway infrastructure and repairs.”

The programme of repairs is already under way.
30 June 2008 22:01Adrian C

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