Liberal Democrats in Bury have revealed that the Conservative-run Bury Council is set to take 75 years to repair the borough’s broken roads unless road repair policy is changed.

Answering a written question from Lib Dem leader Cllr Tim Pickstone at the meeting of Bury Council on 9th September, the Conservatives disclosed that 426 roads in Bury fall below the government’s standards. Current budgets allow for only 6 roads per year to be fixed, meaning that at current spending rates the roads will stay broken until at least the year 2084.

Commenting on these figures, Cllr Pickstone, who represents Holyrood ward in Prestwich, said “I am astounded that the Tories are neglecting Bury’s roads so much. The streets which failed the test included such famous streets as Gigg Lane and The Rock in Bury – streets in our area included Fairfax Road, Heys Road and Cuckoo Lane. We’ll all be long gone before the Tories get round to fixing them.”

“Last year the Liberal Democrat group proposed a massive 50% increase in the road repair budget – but we were voted down by Conservative councillors. This is the result of that decision.

The 75 year delay comes just weeks after Lib Dems disclosed the multi-million pound bill facing taxpayers in compensation claims for trips and falls on local pavement. Cllr Pickstone said “The Council are spending millions paying out for people who have injured themselves on the roads. This is a scandalous waste of money. It’s not good enough.”