Last updated at 15:12, Thursday, 29 July 2010

A COMMUNITY and councillors have demanded highways bosses follow through on a promise to repair a badly potholed road.

Councillor Mark Wilson has been lobbying Cumbria County Council to patch damaged sections of North Lonsdale Road in Ulverston.

Resident Carl Fine and neighbours are concerned about one large section of the road that has deteriorated outside their homes.

Following a site inspection, the county council’s highways department agreed improvements were needed and said work will start next month.

Cllr Wilson, who represents Ulverston East on South Lakeland District Council, said: “A promise isn’t a promise until it’s delivered. They must remember to keep that promise, because it’s been like that since February. It’s not a case of being threatening. It’s just about wanting the promise to be followed through now.”

Mr Fine, who has lived in the street for 43 years, is worried the deteriorating road could cause an accident, as motorists swerve to avoid it.

The 66-year-old said rumbles can be felt through his home when heavy duty vehicles regularly use the street.

He added: “I’ve got a shed out back and I can feel it rumbling like an earthquake when lorries go past. There’s even people in Steel Street who say they can feel it.

“I mean, what’s it doing to the footings of the houses? It can’t be doing them any good.

“According to the highways department, it’s a pothole. To me, it’s a road collapsing, not something you can put a bag of tarmac in and level off. It’s getting worse and worse. It’s been like this for a few years now, but this past 12 months or so it’s got that bad, that quickly. All the frost and floods have impacted on it.”

A Cumbria Highways spokesman said: “We are aware North Lonsdale Road is in need of repairs and we’ll be carrying out resurfacing improvements on parts of the road that require it.

“While a specific date for the work hasn’t yet been determined, it is planned to take place in August.”

Cllr Wilson said the Ulverston and Low Furness Local Area Partnership is seeking ideas from residents to add to an action plan of simple projects that would benefit from funding of £2,000 that is allocated to each SLDC councillor.

He said ideas could include things such as playgrounds, traffic surveys, new lampposts or additional lighting.

Cllr Wilson can be contacted at mark.wilson@southlakeland.gov.uk.

First published at 13:06, Thursday, 29 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk