COMPETITION LAUNCHED TO FIND WORST POTHOLE

12.00.00am GMT Wed 23rd Jan 2008

Liberal Democrats have launched a competition to find the worst pothole after

Conservatives at Essex County Council voted for a new highways maintenance policy. The Conservative members of the highways and transportation committee unanimously agreed to proceed with a policy that will severely lower road and pavement standards thereby endangering the travelling public and involve other deliberate and alarming consequences.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Keith Francis, the Liberal Democrats spokesman for highways and transportation said: "After inviting the Cabinet Member to drop this thoroughly bad proposal, during a sometimes heated debate, I became the lone councillor to vote against this policy. I am left appalled at the lack of duty of care shown by the Conservatives towards this crucial area of work and its certain effect on all road users. The new policy allows the council to leave potholes in roads to become more than twice as deep as now, ie from 20mm to 50mm before even considering whether they need urgent repair."

This crisis situation is entirely of the Conservative Administration's own making, as they have mismanaged the highways budget to the tune of £10.8m and are now desperately trying to claw money back by limiting the amount of repairs carried out.

Liberal Democrats will continue with efforts to defend standards and the public interest believing that the public seek improvements to highway maintenance, not the reverse.

ENDS