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Utility firms under fire over pavement repairs

Paul FaulknerLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageLDRS/PA Councillors Gordon Johnson and Adrian Owens, along with Ormskirk resident Steve Kyriacou standing on a wet pedestrianised shopping street in front of a red shopfront with closed roller shutters. Visible signage on the storefront includes "Computing", "Games" and "Electronics". The pavement features a patterned surface with dark repair patches, and the ground appears wet from rain.LDRS/PA
Councillors Gordon Johnson (left) and Adrian Owens (centre), along with Ormskirk resident Steve Kyriacou, inspect the paving on Moor Street

Utility firms which fail to properly finish roadworks have been criticised by councillors.

Politicians and residents in Ormskirk, Lancashire, say several town-centre streets have been left with temporary-looking repairs using tar rather than matching stone flags.

National rules allow interim repairs but require roads and pavements to be restored to an appropriate standard, with permanent reinstatements usually expected within six months.

Resident Steve Kyriacou said the town had become a "patchwork quilt" and criticised both utility companies and the council.

News imageLDRS/PA Councillors Gordon Johnson and Adrian Owens, along with Ormskirk resident Steve Kyriacou standing on a wet paved street corner outside a stone and brick building. The building has large windows and a glass doorway set into a stone façade. A narrow cobbled alleyway runs alongside the building. The pavement and road surface appear damp from recent rain.LDRS/PA
Councillors Gordon Johnson (right) and Adrian Owens (centre), along with Ormskirk resident Steve Kyriacou inspect the pavement on Aughton Street

West Lancashire councillors identified six streets where tar had been used after utility work rather than replacing the original paving: Railway Road, Moor Street, Moorgate, Aughton Street, Church Street and Burscough Street.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, temporary repairs should be replaced with permanent surfaces that match their surroundings where reasonably practical.

County councillor Gordon Johnson, of the Our West Lancashire (OWL) group, said utility companies were "often getting away with a quick black tar job and leaving town never to return".

He said highway officials had acknowledged they had powers to fine firms that failed to complete permanent repairs but had not used them.

According to OWL, a repair on Moor Street following work by Electricity North West has remained in place for more than a year.

'Ugly replacement'

Kyriacou said: "Removing perfectly good block paving and replacing it with ugly tar is akin to theft and should be investigated by the authorities."

A Lancashire County Council spokesperson said utility companies were responsible for reinstating highways after works and that repairs were monitored across the network.

The spokesperson added: "Where repairs remain outstanding, we will continue to work with the utility companies responsible to get them completed."

Responding to criticism over the Moor Street site, SP Electricity North West said a permanent reinstatement had been scheduled for 2 November and agreed with the local authority.

The company apologised for the delay and said it was working with contractors to understand why the repair had taken so long to complete.

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