Pavement potholes across Norfolk to be tackled in £8.9m repairs
Norfolk County Council have assured residents £8.9million is due to be spent on pavement and footpath maintenance across the county in 2020/21.
Their response comes after a UK charity Living Streets revealed that one in three over 65's across the East of England said cracked and uneven pavements prevented them from walking their local streets.
Higher than the UK average of 31 per cent, this equates to 3.5 million people and Living Streets are calling on councils across the country to repair roads to enable the most vulnerable to feel safer using the streets.
Cllr Martin Wilby, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: “In December 2020 it was revealed that Norfolk had once again secured the top spot for overall satisfaction in the annual National Highways and Transport (NHT) survey compared to 29 other county councils and larger unitary authorities.
"3,300 people in Norfolk were asked for their views as part of the survey and I’m pleased that our overall score for pavement and footpaths was 4 per cent above the national average.
"We know the importance of good walking and cycling infrastructure, and in the year 2020/21, we are set to spend £8.9m on pavement and footpath maintenance and improvements."
His comments come after the Department for Transport last week announced £500 million would be given to local authorities in England for highways maintenance.
Mary Creagh, chief executive of Living Streets, said: “Being able to simply enjoy a walk down your own street is currently off limits to millions of older people because local pavements are simply not up to the job.
“Investing in well-maintained and clutter free pavements would help everyone walk more – tackling inactivity, air pollution and isolation. That’s why we are calling for local authorities not to forget pavement potholes and to use a fair share of the funding for pavements.”
If anyone would like to report damage to a pavement near them, visit: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roads/report-a-problem
