A leading member of the ruling Conservative Group conceded that our roads are a disgrace at last night full meeting of Bury Council.

The admission from Cllr Gunther was in response to a question from myself.

But most astonishing was the reply that for the period May 07 to June 09 Bury Council has paid out on 333 highways claims with the total amounting to a shocking £2.1 Million.

The average claim was just under £6500.This is further evidence if needed that Bury’s roads are in a terrible state and in need of massive investment. 

At he full council meeting we called on the Council to consider drastic action, if need be obtaining a ’one-off loan’ to inject much needed funds into the highways maintenance programme.The Conservative leader of the council conceded that the amount needed to bring our roads up to speed is more likely to be in the region of £40 million.One thing is sure we need action now, because our roads are getting worse, claims are going through the roof and accidents are likely to happen. 

Liberal Democrats have criticised Bury Council’s under-investment in road repairs after a local councillor discovered a two-metre deep crater on a Prestwich street.

Cllr Donal O’Hanlon, Liberal Democrat member for St Mary’s ward, discovered the hole on Lowther Road, and launched a stinging attack on road maintenance in the borough. “We can’t go on like this - the condition of our roads is appalling, and the amount we are allocated to repair them is paltry!” said Cllr. O’Hanlon.

“Bury Council announced it’s annual budget recently, but the amount given over to road repairs was so low that we can’t even afford to fix the single neediest road. Local Area Partnerships decide how much of the meagre money allocated can be spent on the upgrading of the roads and pavements, but there is nowhere near enough.”

Cllr O’Hanlon described the moment he almost became a victim of the crumbling road himself. “I came round the corner and swerved around a dip in the road. I got out to investigate, and found a crater two metres deep. The damage to someone’s car if it’d fallen in, let alone the shock to the person, would far outweigh the cost of keeping the road in a decent condition!”