A report by the AA (Automobile Association) says that North Yorkshire County Council cut its highways budget by £6.2m in 2016/17, a reduction that is the highest of any local authority outside of London.
The report indicates:
- 62% of local authorities have reduced their expenditure on services such as road maintenance, street lights and school crossing patrols since 2016/17
- More than 200 councils are seeking to increase their parking income by raising fees for on and off street parking and residential permit schemes
North Yorkshire County Council however refutes the report.
AA president Edmund King, AA president said:
It is clear that local authority budgets are being squeezed and highways budgets are almost the first in line to be cut. Drivers will be frustrated that in many councils the additional income from increased parking charges won’t be reinvested in improving the state of local roads. Far too often drivers are viewed by every level of government as wallets on wheels. We think it is time to redress the balance and drivers get the investment needed to bring our roads back up to scratch.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Highways said:
The AA has used a Government return that does not reflect spending in cash terms. If the AA had checked with us we could have shown them how we have increased spending, before naming us in this inaccurate way.
We have maintained our roads maintenance spending and in fact we have increased our expenditure on the network in 16/17 beyond that which we had initially budgeted for.
In addition we have also targeted preventative capital repairs, increasing expenditure in these areas in order to maximise efficiency and minimise costly reactive revenue maintenance.
Who would trust a Tory ? Just look at failure to provide funds for the mental health unit
Mr mckenzie – could I please invite you to take a trip down Arthur’s avenue in Harrogate. Preferably during the times of 8.30am to 4.00pm and more preferably when the grammar school is beginning it’s day and Rossetti acre are starting and finishing their day. Parking is atrocious and dangerous and the road is getting to be like a cart track. I hope you take up my offer and look forward to seeing your reply if any.
In anticipation
Jennifer Woolley
Mackenzie does his usual trick of not answering the question and introducing a red herring to try and throw people off the scent. If the Government’s figures show that £6.2m has been cut that is what has been cut. Mackenzie has not said the Government’s figures are wrong and not for the first time he has been caught with his trousers down being economical with the truth
It is high time that all road s in Harrogate were repaired to a very satisfactory level of use, the roads in question are Newby Crescent and Harewood Road where even the edges of Harewood road are creating dangerous pot holes of varying shapes and sizes. I have not seen a Highway team in these areas for a long time to assess and properly repair these roads to a safer condition. Lets see the councils use the money they have allocated to road repairs. If they can afford to build a new and unnecessary office they can afford to repair our roads not by just patching here and there, but totally resurface larger areas to ensure a safer smoother surface for motor cycles and even more our emergency services who use these roads to get to incidents. I welcome a reply from Clr Mckenzie.