Questions being asked about footway resurfacing on the Allens Rough Estate reports Willenhall North Lib Dem Activist Carol Fletcher.

Work has recently been completed by contractors working for Walsall Housing Group (WHG) on resurfacing footways across the Allens Rough Estate. This follows a major campaign by the local residents group ARRA supported by the local Liberal Democrat Focus Team.

“There’s no doubt that this work is welcomed as it’s the first time footways on the estate have been touched since the estate was built back in the late 1970’s early 1980’s” commented Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Shires. “Many of these footways had little or no surface left on them and there were dangerous trip hazards caused by tree roots. To see that now most of the pathways across the estate have shiny new black hardtops. I say most because there are a few footways which remain in their neglected glory. Why? because we are told they don’t belong to WHG, they are in the ownership of Walsall Council!”

Investigations by Willenhall North Liberal Democrats has shown that this may well be the case as they link through to the nearby Sneyd Park Estate. However the Lib Dem Team has asked for further investigation on the ownership of the footway from Brookhill Close through to Hilton Road and from Hilton Road through to Fairlawn Close.

Whatever the outcome, be it the council’s problem or an oversight by WHG, the work needs to be finished off. Those footways which have not been resurfaced still present considerable hazards for those who use them.

“Initial feedback from Walsall Council is that they are aware of the issue and are working on getting started sooner rather than later on putting things right” said Lib Dem Activist Carol Fletcher.