Bradford councillors call for action over roads 'chaos' (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford councillors call for action over roads 'chaos'

12:00pm Sunday 30th September 2012 in News By Dolores Cowburn, Bradford Chief Reporter

Yorkshire Water has come under fire from three local councillors for leaving a busy junction in chaos after severe rain caused the Tarmac to lift.

Windhill and Wrose Labour councillors Vanda Greenwood, Susan Hinchcliffe and Alex Ross-Shaw have joined forces to try and get the situation sorted after being inundated with calls from residents about the wrecked Tarmac at Carr Lane, which has been cordoned off since September 2.

It is understood the Tarmac lifted after drains or pipes burst, leaving water to flood the pavement. Coun Greenwood said: “Obviously there has been a lot of storm damage around the district, but the bottom of Carr Lane has a problem with the drains..

“We are getting really frustrated about this. Constituents are ringing up all the time and there is congestion down the bottom of the road all the time. It is causing chaos at the junction with Leeds Road and Carr Lane.

“Yorkshire Water is denying all responsibility for drains and are saying it is the Council that need to sort it out.”

Coun Hinchliffe said Yorkshire Water and the Council had held discussions about whose responsibility the repairs to the Tarmac were.

“We think it is their (Yorkshire Water’s) responsibility,” she said. “This is the key road and a major junction and we are not sure if the pipe burst underneath the road to cause the damage. Yorkshire Water need to take responsibility, and in the meantime residents are getting frustrated.”

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said it was unfair of councillors to blame Yorkshire Water before a proper investigation had been carried out.

“Once we have information, we’ll happily share it, but until then we, and everyone else, simply don't know definitively why these build-ups are occurring,” the spokesman added.

“It is nothing to do with bursting water pipes as far as I’m aware. The local area has a history of surface water drainage issues and regular build-ups of water can be found in the road during times of heavy rainfall. Working with the Council, we have been looking into this and checking our sewers for any blockages.”