Potholes biggest concern for residents ahead of elections

POTHOLES are the biggest local concern for a significant number of Lancashire residents, some of the county's leading politicians have agreed.

- BY PAUL FAULKNER Local Democracy Reporter

During a hustings event ahead of the Lancashire County Council elections next month, representatives of the ruling Conservative and Labour opposition groups said that was the message they got from voters.

Labour opposition leader Matthew Tomlinson acknowledged that people were most preoccupied with those services that were integral to their lives but stressed that, in many cases, their priority was the state of the roads.

"If you've got an elderly relative who needs care, then adult social care is the main thing that will attract your attention. But for most people, when we go out and speak to them, the issue that attracts the most attention is the crumbling state of our highways and footpaths," County Cllr Tomlinson said.

The Conservatives' lead member for highways and active travel, Scott Smith, concurred that the roads were "the most important thing to a lot of residents across the county it's the thing that most people see every single day".

There was less agreement, however, over who would do a better job of looking after them.