Curbing complaints in Fylde pavement furore

Rachael Calvert, from Fairhaven, said of the work on Myra Road: “We are told the council is cash-strapped and cannot afford to fill in dangerous potholes or provide vital services, yet they have found money to do something that is totally unnecessary.”

A resident of Myra Road, who didn’t wish to be named, said: “The kerbstones are in less need of repair than many of the local roads.

“They have been in place for 100 years and are good for at least another 100.”

But Phil Baird, the County Council’s area highways manager, said: “We are replacing the footways in Myra Road and Norfolk Road as they are in need of renewal to provide a safe and level surface, and prevent possible slips and trips.

“Our limited resources mean we can’t replace the old stone kerbs like-for-like, but we do try to preserve the heritage of our streets by retaining any that are removed for reuse within the same district to replace individual damaged stone kerbs or short lengths of kerbs when the opportunity arises.

“Where possible we will leave the existing kerbs in place but where they present a hazard and fall within defect intervention level over most of their length they will be replaced.

“We recognise the high quality of these materials, however besides the cost of replacing them, the stone kerbs are often found to be of unequal depths once excavated, meaning the cost of labour to reset them would also be much higher.

“The new pre-cast concrete kerbs are designed to withstand a similar level of wear and tear to the stone kerbs and should last, and maintain their appearance, for many years.”