Road Repairs Programmed on Services 5 and 2X

 

Service 2X approaching Combermere Road

Back in February we reported on the diversion of services 2X and 5 away from Heathfoot Avenue in Heysham due to the state of the road, which Stagecoach claimed was so bad that it was damaging their buses. These services were re-routed to run between Heysham Towers and Combermere Road direct via Heysham Road, leaving the stops at Middleton Road, Heathfoot Avenue and Peel Avenue unserved.

At the time, Stagecoach advised passengers who were inconvenienced to complain to their local county councillor. But many people don't know who their county councillor is or how to contact them, so we did so on their behalf.

It took a while, six weeks in fact, to get a response but it came with a promise that the matter would be taken up with the Council's Cabinet Member with Transport Responsibility.

This was followed a fortnight later by the news that the repair of the road had been included in highway works to be funded by something called the "Local Deterioration Fund", which is a sum of  £3 million for "small schemes" within the Highways Maintenance budget of £38 million.  

The expenditure was subject to approval by the Council cabinet, but this was passed at the meeting on 1st April (no, really!)

The work is budgeted to cost £119,160 (see above) and with £38 million to spend - and £3 million of that on "small schemes" - it isn't clear just when the county council will get around to Heathfoot Avenue, but the Bus Users' Group has expressed the hope that it will be soon to allow the buses to get back to their normal routes.