POT-HOLE POLITICAL POSTURING

WE must be approaching some forthcoming local elections because Rochdale Councillor Phillip Burke, the local transport spokesman, has started whinging about pot holes.

Rochdale's Labour Council is already committed to spending an additional 12 million on road improvements during the period 2018 to 2020.

The town's annual road repair program for 2018-2019 states 'Every year we spend £1.5 million repairing potholes and roads across the borough.'

Balfour Beatty is the company contracted to do the work to repair and maintain highways within the borough.  But now Cllr. Burke has called for the local authority to bring the council's highways contract back in-house, after attacking Balfour Beatty’s ongoing performance in relation to patching up roads and clearing gulleys.

Pothole posturing is a favourite gambit of campaigning politicians at election time and Cllr. Burke told the press that:  'Enough is enough, we need to take it back in-house and say let’s do it ourselves.  We can do a proper job and probably spend less money.  I fully understand it needed to go out.  But the turnaround of having potholes filled and refilled, when will it stop?'


In their defence a Balfour Beatty spokesperson has commented that:   
'In accordance with the Highways Maintenance Plan, regular road inspections are carried out with over 12,000 potholes and other highways defects in Rochdale repaired every year.
'We are working closely with Rochdale Borough Council to ensure that any outstanding pothole repairs and gulley cleaning are completed safely by our team of experienced professionals, at minimal disruption to the local community and the travelling public.'

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