Pledge 10 - Apply pressure to CW&C to do a better job of fixing potholes
Apply pressure to CW&C to do a better job of fixing potholes.
In years gone by, potholes have often made for brief - but lively - pre-election public debate, however prospective councillors with any integrity have always been quick to point out that fixing them is not within the gift of a town council.
This year however, the WSotE hopefuls bravely sailed HMS pothole into open water, promising to “apply pressure to CWAC” in order to get results.
On the face of it, WSotE might have looked well placed to deliver on this. Cheshire's roads are in a poor state of repair, and WSotE were already aligned with CWAC Cllr Mandy Clare prior to their election. (This latter point being rather hypocritical given what WSotE have to say when other councillors share a party affiliation -ed).
Indeed, WSotE's candidates took to Facebook prior to the election with posts both taking credit for1) and thanking CWAC for fixing potholes. A video has been shared with a caption stating that Cllr Beveridge was responsible for getting the potholes pictured sorted2).
So, why isn't this a Win? Promise made, Roadworks happening, right?
Well, there's the slight issue of causality. The arrow of time points only forward, and CWAC had been aware of the potholes long before WSotE may or may not have reported anything. Cllr Mandy Clare acknowledged this inconvenient fact back in April, writing:
“A Senior Officer from Cheshire West and Chester has replied to me explaining that they are aware of the problem.”3)
Cllr Clare then displayed their clear authority on the subject, timidly stating in a comment on her own post:
“I really hope they sort it soon.”4)
There's also the issue that potholes can be reported by anyone, and whilst its nice that WSotE Cllrs are joining in, lets be clear - (re-)reporting potholes is NOT a part of their job description, and CWAC will not have expedited roadworks in Winsford merely because a handful of candidates for the town council made a reports to them.
It may be that CWAC offices have been overwhelmed by Cllr Beveridge's meticulously detailed lists of potholes, however there have been no reports of any hi-vis clad workpeople surveying Winsford's many side-streets.
Coming only a month after WSotE took on their new duties, CWAC leader Cllr Louise Gittins' announcement5) that £278,000 would be invested in pothole repair across the borough, with work commencing in Winsford on the 3rd of July, somewhat took the wind out of the sails of HMS Pothole. WSotE could hardly claim to have been involved during the months of work it will have taken, prior to their election, to secure this funding.
It would seem that WSotE have given up pretending that they can ever fulfil this pledge, with their final remark on the matter to date coming from Cllr Mault.
“This time of year there are always [CWAC highways] teams around resolving issues. Your reports will help them pinpoint issues.”6)
That’s a lot of confidence in Cheshire West from the political (not-)party that told residents that WSotE would need to pressure CWAC to do a better job of fixing potholes.
With that, we feel that HMS pothole has sunk without a trace - possibly whilst crossing the recent sinkhole on the A556 - leaving this pledge FAILed.