Pothole Parade

[Stanley]

They're just the ticket for a job like that. I think the correct term is 'scalpings'.

[David Whipp]

Chatting to the driver of one of the tippers, most of yesterday's material was stockpiled nearby in readiness for going to new homes elsewhere. He mentioned that there used to be a ready market for the chippings swept up after surface dressing was carried out, but that this was now banned because of the contamination with the bitumen...

I recalled my days as a lad levelling out lorry loads of cinders from Bankfield to repair potholes in the track to our house; all considered 'contaminated' now.

[David Whipp]

The state of some of the town centre road signs is a cause for concern. The one pictured is at the junction of Station Road with Fernlea Avenue.

It's a couple of years since I did a survey of signs in the town centre; if I get the chance this week, I'll carry out a fresh one.

[Stanley]

Some of the lamposts are in similar condition. The one at the SW corner of Cravenside is bad and the manhole cover next to it is insecure as well, it tips up if you tread on the corner.

[David Whipp]

Some of the lamposts are in similar condition. The one at the SW corner of Cravenside is bad and the manhole cover next to it is insecure as well, it tips up if you tread on the corner.

Is this on the path over the Town Green, Stanley?

[Stanley]

Yes, SW corner.

[David Whipp]

Got it, thanks for mentioning.

[Stanley]

They've been patching it for years....



Here's another eyesore. This was in 2010 and it's still there in the same condition. They left it there when they improved the crossing.

[David Whipp]

That stump is another one that I've reported to the county council in the town centre. I'm not sure if it's redundant, or if it still serves some purpose with the electric supply. Either way, it wants renewing or removing.

I've sent a list of about a dozen corroded or damaged posts and columns to the top street lighting person at county hall and await developments.

[David Whipp]

Here's the same stump pictured yesterday. The black tape is holding up well...

[Stanley]

It's been there for almost five years.....

[David Whipp]

After gaffer, leccy tape has to be my favourite...

[David Whipp]

Not quite potholes, but getting that way.

After the building work was completed on the new primary school (which can be seen in the distance), one of the last jobs was to surface the school's car park.

I asked why the existing car park, which is the access to the school, hadn't had a fresh surface laid on top of the existing worn bitmac...

The Sports Centre car park is now going to be resurfaced in a joint scheme between LCC and PBC.

[Stanley]

I note in the BET that the Tories are trying to steal your thunder on pot holes by trumpeting the new pothole grant.....

[David Whipp]

I note in the BET that the Tories are trying to steal your thunder on pot holes by trumpeting the new pothole grant.....

Actions louder than words?

I note that the two areas with road defects with their candidates pictured next to the defects, captioned 'ACTION' remain unrepaired... (The county council say the defects are 'below intervention level' - a level set by the Tories when they were in office at Preston - so they wouldn't be classed as a pothole.)

I sent the Nelson Leader a para about the funding; I've very surprised if they've just used the Tory release...

As mentioned earlier in this thread, Lancashire has secured a higher than average grant from the government's winter weather fund because of the new Asset Management Plan. The plan includes more emphasis on preventative maintenance and extra funding for pavements; both of these requirements were included in our agreement with Labour at county hall at my request and insisted upon by our group as a condition of agreeing the political administration.

In short, I think I can rightly claim some of the credit for the outcome.

Unfortunately, as I said in my piece for the paper, just short of £5M won't go far to addressing the £200M backlog inherited from the Tories on the county council.

[David Whipp]

The surfacing machine on Coates Avenue this morning in readiness for laying bitmac next week.

(I'd have called it a Barber-Green, but I notice it's a Volvo....)

[Stanley]

Barber Greene made the first and probably still have licensing rights so you would have been correct. I hope the BET prints your version of the pothole war!
07:16. Back from our walk and I note that we seem to be losing the bollards on the edge of the paved area in Town Square. I have nothing against that but could I make a plea for some form of dog-tethering points for people using the shops. The bollards were ideal but now there is nothing practical except a drainpipe next to the carpet shop. Pretty Please.....?

[David Whipp]

I sent the Barlick and Earby the picture of Coates Ave, with the comment about the extra £5m as a blob at the end of the piece. They've used the Coates Ave story, but not the blob, or the pic...

[David Whipp]

As part of the audit of the street scene that we do at this time of year, I asked for the soft flags de-laminating around the bus shelter on Station Road to be replaced. A couple of days later, and the work was being completed. (This is an area maintained by PBC rather than LCC.)

Probably more of the flags in the shelter are as soft, but it's only the ones exposed the rain which have crumbled. Will see how the rest of them go.

[Stanley]

Dog tethering?

[David Whipp]

Cryptic to others... will ask town council to do as previous request to Pendle has black holed.

[Stanley]

'Cryptic' Not if they have read my original comment about the bollards.....

[David Whipp]

The black stuff going down on Coates Avenue this morning.

[Stanley]

Proper job and the cheapest way to do it in the long run....

[David Whipp]

They got about half of Coates Avenue surfaced yesterday; ought to be able to finish the rest today.



The county council has put new doors on a couple of the street sign poles, including the one I pictured the other day which is at the junction of Station Road with Fernbank Avenue. I'm hoping that this is a temporary measure and that all the corroded posts are replaced asap.