Plea for resurfacing of Bristol road in such poor condition ‘even Santa won’t stop there’
The uneven surface is affecting elderly people living on the cul-de-sac
Petitioners have made a plea to resurface their small road in north Bristol which is in such poor condition that “even Santa won’t stop there”. South Gloucestershire Council was urged to take action on fixing the surface of a section of Shellard Road in Filton.
For several years bits of the surface have been coming away from a cul-de-sac part of the road. The uneven surface is affecting elderly people living on the cul-de-sac who now struggle to leave the house, as well as binmen who can’t navigate their rubbish truck down the road either.
Councillors were told the problem is an equalities issue, by a resident living on the cul-de-sac, during a full council meeting on Wednesday, December 17. The council is responsible for maintaining the surface of roads, but two years ago staff admitted potholes were getting worse.
Mark Clayton, a local resident, said: “The turning circle has a terrible surface, it’s been coming away in many places for years, the gradients are all over the place, and it’s so bad that I imagine even Santa Claus might not stop there. I myself am OK although I’m in my forties, but the other residents there are elderly and vulnerable.
“There are two couples who are both over the age of 80, and the wives of both couples are housebound because they cannot traverse the uneven road surface on their own. The waste trucks no longer come down the street, meaning the workers have to carry bins up the road, which is not efficient nor much fun for them.”
He presented a petition calling for action signed by the residents living in all of the houses around the cul-de-sac. As well as affecting elderly people and binmen, another problem caused by the poor surfacing is rainwater flowing into drains.
Mr Clayton added: “Also as a consequence of the poor condition, it impacts the drainage as it now doesn’t flow properly into the drains due to the uneven surface. Elderly and vulnerable residents of Filton are housebound, only because they cannot use the council road which leads up to their homes.”