Cannock Chase potholes set to be fixed in £1.59m scheme

As reported earlier this month by the Express & Star, £220,000 alone will be spent on the notorious Five Ways Island in Heath Hayes which has attracted more than 38 complaints of potholes. Now more than a dozen extra roads and footpaths in Cannock Chase have been earmarked for work before the year is out.

Hill Top and Rugeley Road in Hednesford; Rawnsley Road in Rawnsley; Park Road, Pennine Drive, Surrey Close and Clarion Way in Cannock; Sandy Lane in Rugeley; Beaumont Road, Norton Hall Lane, Church Road, Brownhills Road and Norton East Road in Norton Canes and Delta Way in Bridgtown are all set to benefit from the proposed work.

The sites are set to be included in Staffordshire County Council's annual capital maintenance programme, but this will not be formally approved for another two weeks.

Mark Deaville, the council's highways boss, said: “Good roads and footways are important to the council, to residents and businesses and we are looking at a number of schemes to improve the network.

“Each year we prioritise schemes across the county with the budget available and we are currently finalising our annual capital maintenance programme for 2017/18.

“As part of this, the county council is looking at proposals for number of major schemes amounting to around £1.6m Cannock to improve carriageways and footpaths and this will certainly be good news for these areas.

“During every scheme we always work hard to minimise any disruption locally and we will be sharing details and dates for the work once they are agreed and scheduled.”

Potholes is a long running sore for residents in the district, with one previously claiming that the roads in Syria were in better condition.

Amanda Milling, the Conservative candidate for the Cannock Chase seat in next month's general election, raised the issue with Mr Deaville and has welcomed the news of the investment.

She said: "One of the biggest issues people raise with me is the state of our roads. After much lobbying and following a tour of the constituency with Mark Deaville, I am very pleased to say some of the most significant issues on our roads across Cannock Chase will now be addressed. This is great news and represents much needed investment in our roads."

George Adamson, the leader of Cannock Chase District Council, said the state of the roads in the district needed to be addressed.

He said: "I will believe this news of the work when I see it. We have heard it all before about work being carried out to fix our roads and nothing changes.

"That being said the work is most definitely needed, we are all fed up of dodging the potholes to anything to fix that is most welcomed."