Progress on Road Repairs and Resurfacing in St Barnabas Ward

One of the issues residents raise with me most frequently is the condition of our roads. Whether it is potholes, poor surfaces or roads that seem to deteriorate faster than they can be repaired, I know how frustrating it is for those who have to use them every day.

Unfortunately, getting highways to do anything meaningful can often feel like getting blood from a stone. Too often, roads receive temporary patching work when what is really needed is more substantial investment and resurfacing. That is why I continue to push for proper action across St Barnabas Ward whenever residents raise concerns with me, and when I am out and about reporting potholes in our area.

I am therefore pleased to report some genuine progress on a number of roads across the ward.

After years of reporting potholes, raising concerns with highways officers and repeatedly pressing for more substantial repairs rather than endless patching, work has now been carried out to resurface the worst sections of Goulden Street.

Residents living on Goulden Street will know just how poor the condition of the road had become. Time and again, potholes would be filled in only for the repairs to fail and new defects to appear shortly afterwards. Despite my continued requests for wider resurfacing work, the response was often limited to temporary repairs.

While there is still more that could be done, the recent resurfacing is a significant improvement and should make a real difference for residents, motorists and everyone who uses the road on a daily basis.

Goulden Street is not the only location I have been pushing for action on. This follows other work I’ve had carried out including Underwood Lane, Windsor Avenue, Sandiway Road, Foulkes Avenue and Monks Lane which is currently in progress.

Across St Barnabas Ward, I continue to raise concerns about deteriorating road surfaces and have requested repairs and resurfacing work on numerous residential streets. Several schemes remain under discussion and I will continue pressing for investment where it is most needed.

There is also some positive news regarding Minshull New Road. Many residents have contacted me over recent years about the shocking condition of this road, which at times has resembled the surface of the moon more than a busy road through our area.

Following my calls for urgent intervention over the winter, some remedial work was finally carried out in March. While that provided some short-term relief, I continued to argue that a more comprehensive solution was required.

I am therefore pleased to have secured a commitment for full resurfacing work on the affected section. The scheme is currently scheduled to take place between July and September, although highways officers are still carrying out their final reviews and planning. This is something I have been pushing for over a number of years and I will continue monitoring progress until the work is completed.

I also remain hopeful that West Street will receive the attention it needs this summer. This is another road that residents regularly raise with me and one that I continue to chase highways officers about. The current condition of the road is simply not good enough, as well as the pavement near St Barnabas church.  I will keep pressing until we see meaningful improvements.

Road maintenance is one of the issues that affects residents every single day. Poor roads can damage vehicles, create safety concerns and leave residents feeling that their area is being overlooked. That is why I will continue making the case for greater investment in our local roads and holding highways officers to account when work is needed.

Thank you to everyone who continues to report potholes and road defects to me. Your reports help strengthen the case for action, highlight problem areas and ensure that issues are not ignored.

Together, we are making progress, and I will continue fighting to secure the improvements that St Barnabas Ward deserves.

Let’s keep going!

Cllr James Pratt