A councillor leading the campaign for better road surfaces across Southport has secured action to repair the patchwork quilt of unsafe carriageways.
Cllr David Barton, who represents Dukes Ward, first raised the issue of uneven surfaces in 2014, when he called for Sefton Council to repair Post Office Avenue after being contacted by businesses in the area.
He has since raised concerns about other roads where the frequent resurfacing of different sections has caused safety concerns.
He has now secured the adoption of Scarisbrick Street and Wellington Street into Sefton Council’s 2017/18 carriageway improvement programme.
The council’s Highways Department is also to monitor Post Office Avenue and repair any “actionable defects”.
The council is also considering a request for more dropped kerbs to assist wheelchair users.
Cllr Barton, a leading campaigner for the restoration and regeneration of Southport, said: “I would like to thank Sefton Council for its support for this local community and for having listened to our concerns and acted upon them.
“Scarisbrick Street has become renowned over recent years for its recurring sink holes and previous efforts to truly correct this long-standing issue have been unsuccessful.
“Having recently met with up to 20 local residents to discuss the matter of Wellington Street I was able to learn at length a variety of neighbouring issues which I am now pursuing on behalf of the community.
“This road which is frequented by many senior citizens and bikes has seen a number of electric chair users fall into the main carriageway due to the uneven surface and indeed presented difficulties for pedestrians traversing the side pavements across this road and neighbouring King Street.”
Cllr Barton said his enquiries had also revealed other issues such as the sloped pavements and signage issues at the crossroads with Nelson Street and Lord Street and has notified the council with a view to them being incorporated into future carriageway improvement programmes.
He said: “I would like to extend my own gratitude to the residents for their patience and their full cooperation in highlighting some key issues that affect residential communities within the town centre and for adopting a shared positive and constructive approach to getting the best for the neighbourhood.
“I am now requesting anyone with additional site locations, be they within Dukes Ward or across Southport as a whole, to contact me with any concerns which I hope to resolve for the benefit of everyone be they resident, visitor, business or commuter.”
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