The state of Salford’s roads is causing a spike in claims against the council about damaged cars and injuries. A report linked to a new funding package for road repairs stated that there has been a ‘significant’ increase in claims over the last two years due to the ‘deterioration of the network.’ The council blamed a lack of funding for the spike in accidents, after it was forced to find £5.9 million in savings in March when deciding its annual budget. More than 60 claims each were settled by the council for ‘vehicle damage’ and ‘personal injury’ in 2022/23 – a figure which was less than 20 each in 2020/21. The report also found that the value of the council’s payouts has ‘increased slightly’, but that ‘not all claims are settled in year.’ A new £3.8 million scheme for road and footway repairs was approved by Salford’s deputy mayor Tracy Kelly on Monday this week. The council’s report about the road network stated that £2.5 million of that money is needed just to keep the carriageways in a ‘steady condition’ without further damage. Salford Labour Group said the work will help provide “efficient, safe and sustainable highways” in the city, but they argued the job is becoming more difficult due to “brutal cuts” from the Conservatives. They added that since 2010, the city has lost nearly a quarter of a billion pounds in funding. Conservatives on Salford council said the way the roads in the city have been managed has been “disastrous.” They also questioned why the council has committed to buying the remaining half of Salford Community Stadium when there are problems with the roads that need to be dealt with. In February, Salford’s Labour mayor Paul Dennett told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the stadium purchase could cost the council around £2 million in total – but it expects to recover this and more by selling off land around the ground. Coun Robin Garrido, leader of the opposition in Salford, said the town hall has been sitting on £1 million of funding for road repairs which it has not spent. Salford council was asked to confirm the claim. Mr Garrido said: “They don’t seem to know what they’re doing. We’ve got people claiming for things such as punctured tires, and this is costing the council money. “They’re spending more on cycle lanes and buying the rugby stadium [than road repairs]. This is just an excuse for not doing their job properly – that’s the city mayor and lead members I’m talking about, not council officers. “They should be concentrating on the things that matter to people. We have roads that are not roadworthy and foot paths that are not safe. “Until we get that in order we should stop fanciful projects like the stadium.” Salford council was contacted for comment.
