Roads staff told to order fewer repairs

ROADS inspectors were told to stop ordering repairs to save cash – as pothole claims rocketed.

A probe found half of repairs sampled were below council ‘intervention levels’ and this was ‘placing a pressure on resources’.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is now spending £17,000 to train them to keep orders down, including ‘courtroom techniques’ when defending claims.

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Roads get biggest council spending cut

THE council department which manages road repairs is to be hardest hit in the forthcoming year, a survey has found.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council told the BBC the highways department would be cut by 3.85 per cent in 2010/11, the 12 months from April.

This enjoyed and 8.17 per cent rise this year. The second biggest cut is environmental services, 1.44 per cent.

The news will come as a blow to drivers hit by potholes throughout the borough. Click here for pothole stories.

The biggest increase is expected to be in children’s social services, 21.23 per cent.

Council managers throughout the UK have reported extra work in light of the Baby P scandal.

The council told the national survey it expects a 10 to 15 per cent cut in spending in the next three to five years.

And it said it expects to lose 158 jobs, leaving a workforce of about 3,000. The Conservative-controlled authority says it is amongst the lowest funded in England.

The council says it could have to charge for services above the rate of inflation to help balance the books.

It says: “The financial pressures or other service requirements faced by the council may mean that we consider increasing the real financial contribution made from some fees and charges by increasing them beyond the rate of inflation after taking into account all relevant circumstances.”
See the full figures here and read the BBC’s story here. Click here for council savings stories.

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Latest pothole repair schedule

POTHOLES left by the recent snow will this week be filled in at locations including Knowle, Hockley Heath and Solihull.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has announced where its teams will be from today.

It will include the A4141 in Knowle, which runs from junction 5 of the M42 to its junction with the Birmingham Road, past Wroxall.

The council did not say which sections would be filled.

The locations are:

A452 Collector Road
A34 Stratford Road, Shirley
A3400 Stratford Road, Hockley Heath
A41 Warwick Road, Solihull
A4141 Knowle (
B4102 Hampton-in-Arden/ Catherine-de-Barnes
B4101 Spencers Lane/ Tanners Lane

The authority is urging people to report potholes. Click here to make a report and here for more pothole stories.

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Council: potholes 'not as bad' as others

WORK to repair an ‘unprecedented’ number of potholes began this week – but a council boss says roads are ‘not as bad’ as elsewhere in the West Midlands.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is spending an extra £165,000 to fix holes left by the snow.

This week’s work is at:

* A4141 Warwick Road near Masons Way, working towards Lode Lane island.
* B4102 Birmingham Road Meriden.
* B4102 Hampton Lane Solihull, Meriden Road ,High Street Hampton.
* B4114 Chester Road ,Bradford Road.
* A45 Coventry Road.
* A452 Collector Road.

The councils says the work will take eight weeks to complete.

Councillor Ted Richards, cabinet member for transport and highways, said: “The initial work we have undertaken to date would suggest the roads in Solihull are not as bad as some other areas regionally and we believe this is as a result of the proactive treatment of sealing surfaces last year, which has reduced cracking and the subsequent potholes.”

In a press release, he said: “We are sure the travelling public will appreciate that during this period it will take a little time to repair all of the priority potholes.

“This may mean that some potholes are not treated as quickly as we would like and we would therefore ask drivers to take care on our roads at this time.”

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Report potholes online

ROAD bosses are encouraging people to report potholes online.

Click here to make a report problems to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

Many drivers have slammed the council as more potholes were created by the recent snow.

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Resident's online pothole complaint

A FED-UP Dorridge resident has gone online to protest at ‘everlasting potholes’.

They have posted their complaint on Fix My Street, which lets residents report concerns about the street-scene and relays them to council road bosses.

The complaints says: “We were told three years ago that the road through Dorridge Wood, leading to our houses at Parkfields, was on a two year waiting list for complete resurfacing. So two years have definitely gone by.

“The everlasting potholes were filled again last year and within weeks had re-appeared.

“Now, after the snow they are very very bad. It is at least 23 years since this road was surfaced, is it not time to get the job done properly?”

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Council thanks gritters

A COUNCIL boss has thanked gritting teams ‘on behalf of the borough’ for their work in the recent snow.

Councillor Ted Richards spoke after visiting gritters at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s Moat Lane depot.

It comes despite some residents’ anger at the perceived lack of gritting, cut by 25 per cent late last week over fears about supplies.

Cllr Richards, cabinet member for transport and highways, said: “On behalf of the borough, I want to thank each and every one of our workers involved in gritting Solihull’s roads.

“They have done an excellent job – particularly in the very difficult recent weather – and I have no doubts they will keep up their good work throughout the rest of winter.”

A council press release said they covered all planned routes and supplies were doubled before the cold snap.

Cllr Richards, above right, said: “At present, we have enough salt to cover our network without any problems.

“However, given that salt shortage is currently a national problem, our top ups are being restricted.

“Even so, we are confident that, should the severe weather return before the end of winter, we will be able to do as much as possible to keep the borough’s roads safe and open.”

Cllr Richards this week defended taking a decision to remove half of the borough’s grit bins ahead of the snow. The council stopped filling these last week as supplies ran low.

And he said the council is tackling a ‘much higher’ number of potholes left by the snow.

You can report potholes to the council on 0121 704 6000 or by emailing connectcc@solihull.gov.uk.

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