Council responds to Cheadle High Street pavements question

by Lib Dem team on 5 February, 2019

We’ve frequently reported on the issues with the pavement along Cheadle High Street and the other local roads. At last week’s Area Committee, a public question was asked and the council responded:

The area is regularly inspected and any defects that meet our investigatory levels are picked up for repair. As with any surface or construction type, deterioration is to be expected and maintenance is required to keep the surface in a serviceable condition over its life span. Damage to flagged footways is usually caused by vehicles driving onto the footpath but also by utility companies who carry out new connections/repairs etc and disturb the paving and foundation. Water discharging onto the footway from surrounding buildings is also a factor here.

The flags are laid on a substantial foundation but this will not protect indefinitely against vehicle overrun. Flags become de-bonded from the foundation/bedding and grit etc gets under the flag causing them to rock. Inspection of the foundation during recent maintenance works has shown that the foundation is still in a serviceable condition. We expect to continue carrying out maintenance to the flags here in line with expected deterioration.

Cllr Graham Greenhalgh said “We have worked long and hard to get the Council to resolve these issues. We recognise that some repairs have been undertaken, and that ongoing wear-and-tear will always cause more problems, but the reality is that there are too many loose paving stones being left for too long and it’s not acceptable.”

   12 Comments

12 Responses

  1. Robert Cohen says:

    Can I assume that the contractor who did the job in the first place are the ones coming back to rectify at no cost to me (and, of course, all the other overburdened tax payers)? The work was shoddy from the start, leaving dangerous detailing all over the show! ‘Ongoing wear and tear’? A job like this should have had a good 20 year life span – there are old pavements I walk on all over the region that have less wear than this!

  2. Jennifer says:

    I couldn’t agree more. Considering many pavements in the Cheadle area have been done with tarmac rather than with paving stones, why weren’t the pavements on the High Street done in the same manner?

  3. Roy says:

    Robert I totally agree with you ,the original pavements did not require replacing as they were in a very good condition and obviously were better suited for the occasional motor traffic that parked on them, before the replacement pavements were installed it was possible to walk into the the High Street without having to negotiate trip and splash hazards now if you want to keep your clothing splash/stain free it’s necessary to either drive into the village or shop elsewhere (not good for the environment or the traders in the village).
    I can also inform you that the Council Officer who sprayed the Red Dot on some of the defective pavings informed me that a different contractor (totally Local) would be doing the rectification work ,Therefore We Will All Be Paying
    What we need is for the Head of Stockport Council to make himself available at a District meeting to Answer for these failings

    • Robert Cohen says:

      Quite. My late mum, who had developed macular degeneration in her later years, fell a number of times near my office tripping over the pavement.

  4. John H says:

    Whilst inspecting the High Street pavements was there any observation on the number of advertising frames obstructing free passage, a potential danger to pedestrians particularly to those with mobility problems.
    Maybe it is a “jobs worth” task. “I’m only here to look at paving”

  5. Gary says:

    I agree it has been nothing but trouble since it was laid – it is easy to identify the loose ones as they have no cement around them. The statement about cars and vans running over them cannot be correct, as nearly all of them are loose. I raised it with Iain a few years ago – still no change. Certainly can’t see which ones have been fixed.

  6. Peter Rowley says:

    Unfortunately the council employee who responded completely failed to answer the various points in the question.
    For example:
    1. When will the the existing problems be rectified
    2. Given that some of the problem slabs were identified by the council and marked with an orange dot why have they not been repaired.
    3. Given that some of the lose slabs are behind bollards and therefore have not been impacted by vehicles parking on them.
    On a separate point the lose and broken slabs were replaced directly outside St. Mary’s Church even after a couple of months several of them are now lose. Given that funeral and wedding vehicles park there on a regular basis why do the council not make the repair fit for purpose? Some of those slabs have dimpled/raised surfaces in order to assist people who are visually impaired. It is therefore essential that an adequate solution is quickly found.

  7. David Johnson says:

    As a regular walker – to take the exercise for fitness as well as shopping locally – it continually irritates me that pavements designed for feet are generally allowed and sometimes encouraged for use by wheels (prams & mobility chairs are acceptable). Avoiding cyclists at 20 mph and navigating around parked delivery vans and cars is wrong as well as paying for pavement repairs that should not happen. I do drive regularly so please do not accuse me of being without experience.

  8. John says:

    The report is a total untruth, I used to work in the restatement of ground business and compaction of base layer material is important. Any one that’s had a drive done well would have seen contractors using compaction plates or rammers
    In all the time of the new surface I did not see one piece of compaction equipment used. Without this the sub base settles and slabs wobble .simple yes it would still be there but the contractor should be charged for all the repairs and where was the council inspector and sign off, ohhh yes I forgot this is stockport, the council who chop down trees in Abney only to plant more, win the nation carbuncle award for a major development and can not organise a pxxxup in a brewery. As council tax payers there should be far more accountability of Stockport council

  9. Graham says:

    Do we still pay the highest council tax in greater manchester?

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