Anything wrong with these Ipswich roads? Apparently not say Suffolk County Council
From left: Ellenbrook Green, Goldcrest Road, Denton Close. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
Can you see anything wrong with these roads? In most cases Suffolk County Council’s highways team says they are fine and there are no plans to make any repairs.
Top left: Dryden Road. Top right and bottom: Marlow Road. Picture: PAUL GEATER - Credit: Archant
Ipswich borough councillor Colin Smart became so fed up with the state of the roads – and the complaints he heard about them – in his Sprites ward that he compiled a dossier of potholes and broken carriageways to take to the county council, who are responsible for the county’s roads.
However, after looking at 66 pictures in his dossier, highways officials said they did not meet the criteria for repairs.
From left: Holcombe Crescent, Greenfinch Avenue, Stonechat Road. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
We followed this up by looking at some roads in the Whitton and Whitehouse areas of the town – not a comprehensive look, but a clear snapshot of where there are problems on the town’s estate roads – and got a similar response.
But engineers are preparing to carry out repairs in Stratford Road.
Top and bottom left: Stratford Road. Right: Lakeside Road. Pictures: PAUL GEATER AND COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
A county council spokesman said: “We have looked at these pictures and none in the dossier meet the standard needed to require repairs.
“However we are planning to resurface Sheldrake Drive within the next three years and that should make it look better.”
From left: Sandpiper Road, Sheldrake Drive, Gannet Road, Sheldrake Drive. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
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He said there was better news in Whitton and Whitehouse. As well as Stratford Road, repairs are also due at the Dryden Road/Congreve Road junction– however engineers had inspected Marlow Road and decided no work was necessary.
The spokesman said that many of the pictures showed concrete estate roads that had been covered by a thin layer of asphalt that had been worn away – but that did not mean the surfaces had a hole or were uneven.
The broken highway at Marlow Road, near Westbourne Academy - the county has looked at this and decided there is nothing wrong with the surface. Picture: PAUL GEATER - Credit: Archant
Mr Smart was not impressed by the county’s claims that the roads did not need repairs. He said: “That’s a shocking response. Anyone can see that the state of the roads in the area are pretty terrible.
“Their criteria for assessing and fixing roads is so strict is has become a farce when you can see for your own eyes, and experience in a car, just how bad they are.”
Potholes in Goldcrest Road, Ipswich. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
Suffolk County Council Labour group leader Sandra Gage said Mr Smart had produced an important dossier: “This really has been Colin’s work and he deserves great credit for it. It should be brought to his area committee so members of the public can have their say and highways officials can see and hear how important an issue this is for residents.”
Ipswich councillor Colin Smart. Picture: IPSWICH COUNCIL - Credit: Archant
Potholes in Bridgewater Road, Ipswich. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
Potholes in Denton Close, Ipswich. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
Potholes in Gannet Road, Ipswich. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
Potholes in Sheldrake Drive, Ipswich - this road is due to be resurfaced within the next three years. Picture: COLIN SMART - Credit: Archant
