Road repairs next week?

Last week we reported that the Velocity Patcher, the new pothole repairing machine, had been seen to the south of Audlem on our more rural roads.

Cheshire East reported: "List of programmed work for Velocity Jet Patcher in Audlem – Bagley Lane, Swanbach Mill Lane, Wood Orchard Lane, Paddock Lane, Kettle Lane, Hall Lane, Hankins Heys Lane, Hardys Lane, Chapel Lane, Buerton Farm Road, Long Lane, Windmill Lane."

Audlem Online went out yesterday to see the repairs. We hope we are wrong, but they looked more cosmetic than lasting in Wood Orchard Lane where we photographed the patching there. It is, however, better than nothing as the road had clearly been breaking up.

The report on Audlem Online did not, however, please local campaigner Peter Oxley. He was immediately in touch with Cheshire East because few of the repairs elsewhere he had reported – and which were detailed on Audlem Online – had been dealt with as promised.

At first, he was told by Cheshire East highways department "that the promise of the 3-man filling gang and road skimmer hasn't been approved due to further budget restrictions, and that faults on fast A roads are not currently a priority."

Astounded by this, he went back to Cheshire East and contacted a senior Highways officer, council leader Mike Jones and interim council chief executive Kim Riley.

The result: a promise in a phone call to assure Peter that a proper road patching crew will attend to the main roads on week commencing 13th August. 

Peter has supplied Audlem Online with full details of all the correspondence with the Highways officers and their promise for action.

With Team GB's amazing success in cycling, and a likely upsurge in the sport and recreational riding, it's all the more vital that Audlem's roads have safe surfaces for all those on bicycles. The village is already a magnet for cyclists and, post-Olympics, that is very likely to increase.

All will be awaiting the repairs eagerly!

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