Cuts to pavement maintenance increase accidents and claims against council

10.48.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 27th Aug 2009

Cllr Zoe Patrick gets a close look at damaged pavements in Oxfordshire

Figures obtained by Liberal Democrats using the Freedom of Information Act show that Oxfordshire County Council spent half a million pounds less than the average last year on pavement maintenance, compared to nineteen other county councils which have provided figures. Probably as a consequence, there were eighty-eight claims for compensation in Oxfordshire last year, fifty-six of which have yet to be settled.

These figures come as the Liberal Democrats nationally reveal that ninety councils have paid out over £82m in compensation following pavement trips and falls over the last five years.

Cllr Anne Purse, Shadow Cabinet member for Growth & Infrastructure, said: "It is not just the compensation that councils have to pay out that concerns us, but the additional costs of treatment that inevitably fall on the health service if people are injured by falling on uneven surfaces. And even more important for the individual concerned is the potentially serious loss of mobility and confidence. It is for that reason that the Liberal Democrats have proposed additional sums for road and pavement maintenance for each of the last four years in our draft budgets - it is a shame that this has not been taken up by the Conservative administration."

Cllr David Turner, Shadow Cabinet member for Transport Implementation, said: "The failure of the Conservatives to support our proposals for more weed control on pavements is creating a big future bill to repair pavements crumbling under the pressure from uncontrolled weeds."

Leader of the county council opposition, Cllr Zoe Patrick added: "National studies show that the average time spent walking is now down to just 11 minutes day. We want to encourage more walking and good quality and well-maintained pavements are just as important as road surfaces. We have welcomed the concept of increasing pedestrianisation in Oxford City, but we hope that people are taking particular care whilst the works for this are going on in Queen Street. We don't want to see the figures for falls and trips increase dramatically this year."