'We've filled 1,000 city potholes'
AROUND 1,000 potholes have been patched up on Swansea's roads.
The council has repaired over 16,000 sq metres of road surfacing in the past 12 months, using 4,000 tonnes of materials.
John Hague, cabinet member for the environment in Swansea Council said: "The Patch scheme ensures that roads in every ward in Swansea are upgraded.
"We have had a lot of good feedback from the public since the launch of the scheme.
"Clearly the public want to see roads in good condition.
"The Patch scheme ensures the resources we have are put to the best use to improve our roads across Swansea."
However, many Swansea residents said they felt, even though there had been improvements, much work was left to be done on the roads.
Unemployed Mark Harris, 40, from Mumbles, said "The roads are still in a terrible state. It's hard to focus on the repairs when there are so many more needed to be done."
Carpenter Paul Foot, 36, agreed, adding: "While some repairs have been done, the roads are still dangerous in some areas."
And Swansea housewife Melissa Lions, 48, said: "The repairs have greatly improved certain areas, but there is still a lot left to do."
The Patch scheme is carried out in addition to planned maintenance work such as major road resurfacing schemes and emergency pothole repairs.
The next round of work will start in March, Swansea Council has confirmed.
Carl Humphrey, head of streetscene in Swansea Council, said: "We have now completed our second year of the Patch initiative which is making a real difference to the condition of roads in Swansea.
"Alongside our longer term highway maintenance programme, we have been able to target additional sections of road throughout Swansea and give them as new lease of life."
helen.keates@swwmedia.co.uk
16 Comments
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by Siloh
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 10:03AM
“4000 tonnes of material to fill 1000 potholes that's 4 tonnes a hole.
Anyone had their drives tarmacced on the cheap lately?”
by UpperBank
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 4:12AM
“What's causing all these imperfections in the road? I can't understand it. I'm ruled out the ever increasing numbers of heavy cars, trucks and buses. It's a total mystery. Could it be moles?”
by raywelsby
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 9:19PM
“The SWEP forget to mention that the council as received extra funding from the welsh assembly for this work to be carried out that was a grant from westminster,and that the pothole repairs are being carried out in alphabetical order ask councillor Hague who will confirm this as I have spoken to him on this subject.”
by dan435
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 6:34PM
“I have reported potholes on the council website, and they usually get filled within a week.
http://tinyurl.com/klgfas
Unfortunately the repairs often don't last as the underlying road is in such poor condition. Many roads are at the stage that resurfacing is needed.”
by williamwaun
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 6:08PM
“In the last two years I have noticed a massive improvement on the roads, still a lot to be done but roads a lot better.”
by PJL1967
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 5:01PM
“Many of the potholes I've seen 'patched' have needed re-patching soon afterwards - and new ones are cropping up all the time.
Clearly the so-called 'patch scheme' is failing to ensure a satisfactory condition of the roads in Swansea. I have never seen out roads in such a bad state of repair!
Surely the Council's penny pinching (sticking plaster mentality on an open wound) is shorts sighted and economically counter productive in the long run as the roads will need to be resurfaced to actually ensure they in a safe condition?”
by phyllis27011
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 3:21PM
“whats the point in filling them in,i live in a street where the same potholes where being filled every fortnight,they eventually did the road after putting up with it after ten years,and a week after they did the road which looked tidy for once virgin media and the waterboard where out digging it up again and now where theyve filled in the patchs, its back to being potholes!!”
by Siloh
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 2:05PM
“Well done John Hague, what a way to manipulate statistics.
Your workers may have filled 500 holes and then have filled 500 more but there's still a massive amount to do.
Two terms in office and the roads in Swansea are an absolute mess.
You've overseen as good a job of this as you did of Bonymaen RFC's attempts to change grounds.”
by VISIONSKI
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 1:46PM
“In response to by Dooyah a license to print money then and spend it on anything other than it`s original intension.”
by huwwuh
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 1:43PM
“I feel sorry for the poor people who are trying to have a chat on the mobile while trying to avoid the pot holes.”