Indie action By Ken Bennett
APPEALS TO the Independent by worried residents living in isolated Saddleworth hamlets have prompted council action.
The Holroyds, a long-established farming family, live down a rutted and pitted road at Green Lane Farm off Roebuck Lane, Strinesdale.
They claim the road, ravaged by weather, has deteriorated over the years leaving them isolated.
The family comprise Robert Holroyd senior, his wife Jacqueline, who are in their 60’s, their sons Robert and Alistair, daughter Jane and her partner, Austin.
Said Jane: “The road is fine until the turn at the Roebuck pub then things start to get worse . The road has become so bad that friends and relations have just stopped coming to see us.”
Meantime in Diggle, Stuart Langridge has been e-mailing salvos to the council over the craters and the crumbling state of Brun Lane for several years.
And although the road surface has been repaired water has washed much of the remedial work away resulting in him sending a song to the council outlining problems and adding he is ‘living on a road to hell.’
He says here are 85 potholes, not counting the ruts on each side of the tarmac, down the lane where he lives with his wife, Katie, and their daughter, Vanessa, who needs constant nursing care.
Now Oldham Council say they plan to bring in their new Velocity Patcher which is hoped will help the Langridges.
The high-powered pothole patching equipment is part of a revolutionary new scheme to treat potholes and protect roads across the borough.
This new approach is cheaper than traditional methods and reduces disruption to traffic. It enables teams to undertake more repair work on each job and provide a ‘right first time fix’.
The council has committed an extra £2 million over the next two years to deliver the project.
Cllr Dave Hibbert, Cabinet member for Planning, Housing and Transport, said: “Over the last few months Oldham’s roads – like those right across the country – have suffered due to the extreme weather conditions.
“Our location means our roads are more susceptible to cold weather damage than other boroughs. We have 817 kilometres of roads to monitor – a huge task.”
And the council have promised to investigate road conditions at the Holroyds homestead to try and find a solution to their problems.
If you spot a pothole you can either call Oldham Council 0161 770 4325 or report it online at our website. www.Oldham.gov.uk
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