Lib Dems Tackle Government In Row Over Roads

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 10th Apr 2003

Stewardson: "Government should see Bedford's roads"

Local Borough Councillor Myrtle Stewardson is challenging the government to see for themselves the appalling state of Bedford's roads.

Myrtle, Lib Dem councillor for Putnoe has been appalled by the state of disrepair roads in Bedford have been allowed to fall into and has written to the government demanding that they provide funding to improve the situation once they have seen for themselves the current condition.

Speaking out on the subject Cllr Stewardson said:

"It's absolutely appalling that the roads have got into this state. Local people are sick and tired of making do with roads in this condition. We have been asking the borough and the county for years to do something to improve them but they just aren't getting any better. I know of some roads that haven't been resurfaced in almost half a century! As you will imagine what is left of them is very patchy indeed and provides a constant bug bear to local residents, particularly the disabled."

She added:

"The situation is getting worse, council tax is rising year after year but we don't see any improvement. With the roads in this condition its inevitable that local people will end up paying the price as they are forced to stump up for vehicle repairs caused by using these roads. No one has made any process locally so I have asked the Secretary of State for Transport to intervene. I have sent him photos of the disrepair and invited him to see for himself just how bad they really are, maybe then we will get something done."