700 unadopted roads would cost millions
Residents of Tennyson Avenue, Thorne, have been battling for years to have their unadopted road repaired. They have now been told that they need to pay �5,300 each for the road to be resurfaced. Pictured back l-r are Russ Clarke, Sue Taylor, Anne Kershaw, and her husband George. Front l-r are Lyn Shadlock, and Paul Willerton. Picture: Liz Mockler D2524LM
hundreds of residents are living on pothole filled streets that Doncaster Council is not obliged to improve according to latest figures revealing there are nearly 700 unadopted roads in the borough.
Doncaster Council claim it would cost tens of millions to adopt the 693 roads that include residential streets, farm access roads and back alleys.
A spokesman for Doncaster Council said the residential streets make up 92 of the unadopted roads.
The remaining unadopted roads include 81 back alleys and rear access roads, 95 garage sites, 128 shared access roads, 100 private roads managed by private developments.
Section 38 Agreement Roads – roads being built as housing developments and should eventually be adopted - make up 114 and 33 farm access roads are unadopted.
Residents living on one of the unadopted streets Tennyson Avenue in Thorne told the Free Press that they are furious after being told to stump up £5,300 per household to bring the road up to scratch.
The potholes are nearly a foot deep in some areas on the street and residents claim Doncaster Council is playing a postcode lottery game taking responsibilty for some unadopted roads but not others.
A spokesman for Doncaster Council said Tennyson Avenue was initially included in a road adoption programme that began in 2006 and was due to run for five years but that programme was discontinued in 2008 as part of a saving in that year’s budget before the road was adopted.
Mr Kerhsaw, 68 said: “It’s discrimination, it seems some roads are being adopted and other aren’t. We all pay our taxes it doesn’t seem fair that some residents should have to put up with this.
“The council seemed to be finding money for other developments in Doncaster so why not the roads?”
The news follows a report published in August revealing that almost a quarter of Doncaster’s roads are in need of attention.
The statistics published by the Department of Transport showed 23 per cent of the roads in Doncaster showed ‘some deterioration’ which should be investigated, four per cent showed ‘considerable deterioration’ and may need maintenance in the next 12 months, 73 per cent were in a good condition.
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Thursday 23 May 2013
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