Councillors at Stafford Borough Council have renewed calls for action on the state of local roads after a motorcyclist died when he hit a pothole in Stoke-on-Trent.
An inquest heard last month that Andrew Freakley, 43, had been overtaking a van when he struck the one metre square pothole on Park Hall Road, throwing him into the path of an oncoming car.
At Stafford Borough Council’s full meeting on Tuesday 14 April, Gnosall and Woodseaves councillor Scott Spencer said members were concerned that a similar tragedy could happen elsewhere in Staffordshire.
In a question submitted before the meeting, he said the condition of roads was “arguably worse than ever and in many areas unsafe for passage”.
He added that the borough council had approved a roads emergency motion more than a year ago, but there had been “little demonstratable long term actions or solutions” for rural roads.
Councillor Spencer said
“Unfortunately as borough councillors we don’t have control of the roads, which is very frustrating.
“For me, at most of the parish councils I go to the two main topics are either planning or roads, with very little improvement evidenced.
“I have been in my ward for seven years and the roads are the worst they have been in that time. I regularly take my children out on their bikes and I spend more time telling them to beware of the potholes than letting them see what’s going on around them.”
He said he welcomed extra money being put towards road repairs, but argued that quality of workmanship and follow up checks were also part of the problem.
Councillor Spencer said
“They’re not being done in the right place, they’re done and a month later the pothole reappears.
“I am aware that some surface dressing is being done, but that to me is more of a sticking plaster over a significantly wider and bigger problem.
“I would like us to continue to put pressure on the county council to try and get the roads up to a standard where we’re not going to have accidents, we’re not going to damage vehicles, children can ride their bikes without a problem and people aren’t dying as happened in Stoke.”
Deputy council leader Rob Kenney said this year had been the “worst ever” for road conditions during more than 20 years of bakery deliveries around Staffordshire.
He said his business was on a narrow road with no pavement that formed part of a school route, and that he had seen people tripping over potholes.
Councillor Mark Winnington, who also represents Gnosall and Woodseaves, raised drainage concerns and said two cars had recently been written off in his area.
He said
“You try going over a pothole, especially a long pothole, on a motorbike and it’s not good.
“I understand there was a young man who sadly died in Stoke-on-Trent, when do we have it in Stafford?
“I hope I’m wrong, but the way the roads are going it’s horrendous and it’s not fair on people who want to go about their business.”
Council leader Aidan Godfrey said he would write to Staffordshire County Council to express the borough authority’s concerns about the state of roads across the county.
He also said drainage issues raised by councillors could be included in that correspondence.
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