THE deputy leader of Rother District Council and Labour councillor Christine Bayliss has launched a furious tirade over the appalling state of the roads in Bexhill.
Ms Bayliss said: “The state of the roads in our town are an absolute disgrace and it is time for action. There are no more excuses. It needs to be sorted out as an absolute priority.”
She has therefore issued an appeal for residents to come forward with information about the costs of vehicle repairs due to pothole damage.
Ms Bayliss added: “As the General Election approaches, the state of our roads is likely to be the number one issue for many voters in the Bexhill and Battle constituency.
“Cuts to council budgets, which has seen a spending squeeze on highway maintenance, is leading to hundreds more potholes appearing on local roads and more worryingly, new sinkholes are appearing right across Bexhill.
“Garages and car mechanics have been doing a roaring trade in car and van repairs, however, it’s the motorist who ultimately has to bear the cost.
“One angry resident, Sean from Bexhill, has come forward to tell us about the damage to his car when he hit a pothole in Herbrand Walk.
“The weld and a new tyre set him back £168. Then there is Felicity who hit a pothole in Watermill Lane that rendered her car undrivable. The call-out charge for the garage and new tyre came to £170.”
“Those are just two examples of what motorists in Bexhill are having to put up with and to be perfectly frank, it is totally unacceptable.”
Ms Bayliss and the Labour team on the council want to document the costs of repairs and plot the most expensive potholes on a “Map of Motoring Misery” and they are asking for the public’s help to pull together evidence.
She said: “The state of Bexhill’s roads is embarrassing and it feels like the Conservative-run East Sussex County Council has just given up.
“I’ve been waiting months for Highways to fix potholes I’ve reported in Sackville Road and Station Road and this can’t carry on.
“That’s why I want to hear from Bexhill’s motorists in order to gather evidence so we can highlight the criminal lack of investment in our roads and hold our county councillors to account.”
Several residents in Bolebrooke Road have also expressed their outrage over a perceived lack of action after it was closed off for repairs.
One, who asked not to be named, said: “It is absolutely ridiculous, especially as it is a route which is used by many to access Bexhill seafront.
“There was an initial flurry of activity but despite the barriers closing off the road still being in place, nothing has been done for days on end. It is beyond ridiculous.”
Despite being on the opposite side of the political spectrum to Christine Bayliss, East Sussex County Councillor Ian Hollidge acknowledges that there is still plenty of work to be done, although he says progress has been made.
Conservative Mr Hollidge said: As your East Sussex County Council representative for Bexhill Town Centre, chairman of the pothole review board, resident and regular cyclist like everyone else I see each and every defect in our highway networks.
“As poor Oliver in Dickensian times asked for more, I’m constantly asking the same. However, there is only so much money to go around.
“As you can see, we are adopting a Right First Time approach to roads in Bexhill having a large patch or complete resurfacing.
“There was at the last count a £300 million historic backlog of repairs, probably considerably more today.
“The pothole review shows we are looking at more efficient ways of working and not just about demanding more money.
“If anyone sees a defect, please report it to East Sussex Highways or your East Sussex County councillor.”
