New blitz on potholes in Darwen roads (From Blackburn Citizen)

New blitz on potholes in Darwen roads

12:00pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Dan Clough, Reporter

PLANS to treat six roads in Darwen with a revolutionary new surface to combat potholes have been welcomed.

But concerns have also been raised about the quality of the material and whether the right roads have been chosen.

Blackburn with Darwen Council last week announced it had secured £334,000 in Government cash for the ‘innovative’ solution to the motorists’ plague.

And the council’s chief of regeneration, Brian Bailey, said the ‘micro-asphalt’ would be used to resurface roads that had just started to deteriorate, in a bid to make them more resistant to cold and wet weather.

The streets earmarked for treatment are Union Street, Birch Hall Avenue, Church Bank Street, Hazel Avenue, St John’s Avenue and Pole Lane.

Councillors in Darwen welcomed the move, but others had reservations.

Marsh House town councillor Simon Huggill said a new type of surface had been used on the A666 and hadn’t worked.

He said: “If this system is anything like the one used in the town centre and is already cracking, that is not a permanent repair for the potholes.

“My worry is what research has gone into this new road surface?”

Sudell councillor Roy Davies said other roads should be prioritised for treatment. He said: “I do think it would be more appropriate to do the roads that are bad.

“I am not against them doing the roads they are doing, but some streets, such as Marsh Terrace in my ward, need some proper attention.

“I agree there are some bad roads among those mentioned but they should look at the others in Darwen that are in a bad state first.”

Sunnyhurst councillor Dave Smith said the roads earmarked for work were the right ones.

He said: “Most of those roads are ones I have highlighted in the past as being particularly bad.

“Obviously, there are a lot of other roads that need doing but the council has not got the cash to do them all.”