Burnley and Pendle councillors call on Lancashire County Council to allocate money from HS2 for local potholes

Burnley North East Independent County Coun. Usman Arif and Independent Pendle Coun. Mohammed Iqbal have both called on the county council to allocate funds diverted from the cancelled northern stretch of the HS2 rail project.

County Coun. Arif, who has written to the county council, said: “I am writing to express my profound disappointment regarding the recent allocation of funds for pothole repairs across Lancashire, following the reallocation of money from the cancelled northern leg of HS2.

"While the £7.2 million pot of money sounds great, it falls short of what is actually required to address the deteriorating condition of our roads in Lancashire. It is deeply concerning and disappointing that Burnley has been excluded from this much-needed funding and will receive absolutely nothing.

“Burnley has been a Premier League town in recent years and attracts thousands of away fans from across the country on a fortnightly basis. I have often read comments online from visiting fans expressing their disgust at the condition of our roads.

“The state of Burnley's roads has been an ongoing issue for quite some time, significantly impacting the daily lives of our residents. Potholes and deteriorating road surfaces pose not only an inconvenience but also a serious safety hazard which I have raised at full council previously.The repeated need for temporary patch up repairs has proven ineffective and costly in the long run.

“It is particularly disheartening to learn that despite the availability of additional funds, Burnley will not benefit from the ‘mini-resurfacing schemes’ and drainage improvements planned for other areas in Lancashire.

“As an elected county councillor from Burnley, I find it unacceptable that our town is not receiving the resources it needs to improve our infrastructure.

“The decision to exclude Burnley seems to overlook the importance of equitable distribution of resources and fails to address the pressing needs of our town. This exclusion also appears to contradict the aims of the ‘Network North’ plans, which aims to boost the infrastructure in the north of England.

“I urge the council to reconsider the allocation of these funds and ensure that Burnley receives its fair share of investment. Addressing the appalling state of our roads will not only improve safety but also improve the overall quality of life for our residents.”

Meanwhile, County Councillor for Brierfield and Nelson West Coun. Mohammed Iqbal MBE, who was recently re-elected as Bradley ward councillor on Pendle Council, spoke at the Annual Council meeting asking the county council to allocate upto £5m. to address the state of roads across Pendle.

Coun. Iqbal said: “Only a week ago the cabinet at county council announced £5m. for pothole repairs but the cabinet member for Highways refuses to come to pendle to see the state of our roads.

“I know many residents are fed up of being treated as second class citizens on this issue and it’s time the Tories allocate the money for our pothole crisis to be solved. I will continue to lobby them for Pendle roads to be repaired urgently.”