Darwen road resurfacing projects delayed (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Darwen road resurfacing projects delayed

7:30pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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A RAFT of planned road resurfacing in Darwen has been postponed amid claims that the town is ‘falling to the back of the queue’ in the borough council’s priorities.

In a list of schemes for the year, only those in Darwen have been postponed because of a council overspend. Works in Blackburn will be completed on time before the financial year’s end this month.

Darwen schemes affected are:

* Atlas Road from Richmond Terrace to Sudellside Street.

* Robin Bank Road from Union Street to Cotton Hall Street in the Sudell ward.

* Bolton Road from The Circus to Wraith Street.

* Earnsdale Avenue from Sunnyhurst Lane.

* Earnsdale Road from Blackburn Road to Harwood Street Manor Road/Inverness Road from Westland Avenue to Belgrave Road/Harwood Street from Avondale Road to Vale Street.

Labour councillor Dave Hollings said: “People will feel they have been forgotten about. For the first time the council has not completed the planned roadworks and they are years behind anyway.

“In the past, people in Darwen have perhaps unjustly believed that Darwen plays second fiddle to Blackburn, but now it is as though it’s gone backwards. Darwen has gone to the back of the queue with this, no doubt.”

Coun Alan Cottam blamed the bad weather early in the year when Darwen’s work was due to be carried out.

He said: “All this has put pressure on financial resources, but I would like to stress to all residents that we are committed to making and keeping roads across the borough safe. We are working with contractors to agree dates for the rest of the work.”