Title: Local Councillors Denounce ‘Dire’ State of Grantham’s Footpaths
Grantham’s footpaths are facing heavy criticism from local councillors, who claim they are in a ‘dire’ condition, despite the notoriety of recent endeavours such as the Market Place revamping. They argue a significant portion of the town’s pavements have been unduly neglected.
This criticism comes in the wake of Lincolnshire County Council’s announcement of an initiative to rejuvenate 77 miles of footpath spanning 177 sites across the county. The project, funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Future High Street Fund, includes only one site in Grantham, much to the local residents’ disappointment.
Issues regarding accessibility have also been spotlighted, as social media users emphasise the hazards and obstacles encountered by wheelchair users and individuals with pushchairs. This line of thinking is echoed by South Kesteven District Councillor Charmaine Morgan (Independent), who is critical of the scarcity of dropped kerbs and the unsatisfactory condition of paving slabs.
In view of the forthcoming Lincolnshire County Council elections on May 1, Councillor Morgan questions the timing of the council’s announcement. Meanwhile, Labour district councillor Rob Shorrock has expressed scepticism regarding the prioritisation process, citing the visible cracks and holes in freshly developed areas such as the Brambles estate.
Conservative councillor Mark Whittington has admitted to the scarce representation of Grantham in the plan but maintains that a scoring system was likely employed to discern priorities. He urges residents to report any issues through the FixMyStreet app.
Councillor Richard Davies, the executive member for highways, has been contacted to provide additional commentary.
This article is based on an original report published on www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk by The Lincoln Post.
