Committee urges Swindon verges repair fund

That’s one of the recommendations to be made to Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet by the communities and place overview and scrutiny committee, along with the suggestion the authority looks at creating more parking spaces which it could rent to residents and helps with the costs of dropped kerb applications.

But doubts were raised that there is anything like enough money available to really address this issue.

A working group report open pavement parking and damage to verges was presented to the committee by its former chairman Matthew Courtliff.

The report shows there are damaged verges in 12 of the borough’s 20 wards – but the highest numbers are in more central wards: Gorse Hill & Pinehurst, Walcot & park North, Penhill & Upper Stratton and Liden, Eldene & Park South.

Many of the residential streets in these areas were built in the expansions for Swindon in the mid-20th century, before mass car ownership was so common.

And the report showed the costs of repairing the verges, and providing alternative parking spaces not on verges could be huge. The trouble is that water and sewage and gas pipes and electrical cables run under the road and pavements and work on the verges or new parking spaces would need to see them moved.

The report said: “The works plus possible relocation of the services at Whitworth Road is estimated at £334,079. The works plus possible relocation of the services at Mulberry Grove is estimated at £337,770.”

Committee member Jim Grant was dismayed at the costs. He said: “There just isn’t the sort of money in the council in these times for this and to do all the verges across the town. I have sympathy with the residents, but it looks like we’re going to have to live with is problem until the council, and the government decide to come up with more money to solve it.”

Fellow committee member Vinay Manro disagreed. He said: “I agree that there isn’t the money to do it all – but if we can get £50-£100,000 allocated into the budget for this and we make a start and prove that the solutions actually work. Then later we could try to get more money for the problem.”

The committee agreed to request a budget allocation for repairs and prevention of damage in three pilot areas, Whitworth Avenue, Mulberry Close and Desborough in Freshbrook.

It will ask the cabinet to investigate the feasibility of creating more parking spaces which could be let or even sold and to see if the council can help residents with the costs of applying for a dropped kerb to allow them to park on their front garden.

The cabinet will next meet on Thursday July 7.