Councillors smooth way to road repairs

THREE councillors teamed up to get roads on a Delph estate resurfaced before winter.

Saddleworth North councillors Garth Harkness, Derek Heffernan and Alan Roughley called for funds from the Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership to resurface roads on Springwood estate.

Councillor Roughley said: “We insisted on emergency repairs being made some time ago and were able to convince fellow Saddleworth councillors the surfaces were so bad it justified spending a high proportion of local funds on this work.

“The roads on this estate are some of the worst we have seen anywhere in the borough.”

Councillor Heffernan added: “Our limited local budget is not really large enough to cope with the demands of Springwood, but we worked with the council’s highways officers to see what could be done.”

And Councillor Harkness said: “A new technique is being used that saves money because it does not involve cutting away the lower foundations.”

Councillor David Hibbert, Cabinet member for environment and housing, said: “It was agreed by all parties that Springwood estate was the ideal scheme for the budget available .”