Proposal for Barnsley Council to buy machine to repair potholes thrown out during town hall meeting

Barnsley’s Liberal Democrat Group, the Labour administration’s main opposition, submitted an amendment to this years budget, suggesting that the council buy a pothole fixing machine at a cost of around £165,000 to £185,000.

Leader of the Lib Dems, councillor Hannah Kitching, told the meeting that “cuts to the highways budget and repeated bad winters have left the borough’s roads in a terrible state,” adds that resurfacing all of the borough’s roads would be “completely impossible” financially.

“This leaves the highways team chasing its tail continuously patching and repairing roads that really are in need of resurfacing, added Coun Kitching.

“The repair often washes out quickly leaving the roads in a worst state before with loose debris.”

The amendment suggested spending some of the council’s £2m extra funding for highways on a “pothole pro” machine, which Coun Kitching said would repair potholes “faster and better” than traditional fixes.

Councillor Dickie Denton seconded the amendment, adding “We have a pothole crisis, we have a potential solution.”

However, the amendment was voted down, with Labour members criticising it as a “shopping list with just one thing on it”.

Councillor Kevin Osborne told the meeting that “This isn’t an amendment, it’s a shopping list. It’s shopping list with just one thing on it. That’s not how procurement works. That’s not how a financially well managed, budget works. That’s not how prudent decisions are made.”

Councillor Chris Lamb added that he was “baffled” by the amendment, and had issue no with the purchase of such a machine, but added that “It’s not for politicians to decide what type of machinery we’re going to be using. We leave that to managers and staff.”

Coun Kitching challenged the statement, adding “Officers advise, politicians decide. As politicians we have the ability…to make decisions, Councillor Lamb. You can’t sit there and say we can’t make decisions because that is exactly what we can do as politicians.”

Coun Lamb raised a point of order, stating: “In my opinion the statement that has been made is misleading. The chamber and the public have just been misled there, councillors do not determine the make of equipment and vehicles.”

Leader of the Council, Sir Steve Houghton CBE, said that it is not councillor’s jobs “to get involved in the day to day operational management” of the council”, adding: “We also have proper procurement procedures for making sure any money we do spend, is properly accountable as it is the public purse”.

He added: “I don’t want to do pothole repair at all, I want to do full road repairs.

“I would like most of the £2m to go on full carriageway repairs”

“We want to see the roads get better. There will never be enough resources but we’ll keep plugging away.”

The amendment was voted down following the debate.