Yahoo News Fed-up residents say repairs make it look like estate has 'varicose veins'
There are ongoing grumblings from most parts of North Staffordshire over the conditions of roads and in some cases pavements. When repairs are carried out they can leave some stretches looking very much like they have been patched up.
Over the border in Derbyshire and families are not happy with how works have been done with one community leader branding them 'a tarmac version of unwanted varicose veins.' Residents on Belper's Acorn Drive have been left unimpressed with how the roads have deteriorated.
Meanwhile councillor Fay Atkinson, of Belper Independents has been leading calls to fix the problem. Fay said: "Enough is enough. Local people have branded paths and pavements as the worst we have ever seen - resembling a tarmac version of unwanted varicose veins."
"It's time to say enough is enough. No more botched repairs, we need a proper job doing for Belper people."
Families on nearby roads are worried for the safety of elderly people and children - along with how it could affect house prices. One resident on Acorn Drive, John Birds, has lived on the street for more than 15 years. The 75-year-old says that when he first moved to the area the roads were "brilliant" and he "couldn't understand" how they have deteriorated so much.
He added: "They've had so many road repairs along here since I moved in more than a decade ago, despite the roads being brilliant before. I just can't understand why these repairs are so terrible. The road is shocking but the state of the pavements is just as bad."
"You have so many young children and elderly people living in the area who are likely to trip on the uneven pavements. That should be enough reason to get it fixed, let alone the fact it is a huge eyesore."
One resident from High Edge Mews, who preferred to remain anonymous, told DerbyshireLive: "I've lived here for nearly a year now and the state of Acorn Drive is dire. We've seen temporary repairs constantly which are seemingly a short-term fix because the potholes will come back bigger and deeper just a few weeks afterwards."
"I live on a small track that leads off Acorn Drive and, despite a low number of cars travelling along the road, we still see massive degradation throughout the winter months - and I don't expect we're on the council's radar. Not only am I worried about my car and the damage the roads are doing to it, but I'm also worried about how it affects our house prices - no one is going to want to move to a house on a road with such terrible pavements and potholes."
A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: "We are sorry that residents have concerns about the condition of these roads. There are several potholes repairs scheduled on Acorn Drive that one of our reactive teams will get to when they can, however, given the current challenges following the poor wet winter weather, we are prioritising repairs to main roads. We will also send out an inspector to look at the other roads mentioned and raise any repair jobs needed."
