ROCHDALE COUNCIL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

The Government's new pothole rating is blunt, sitting as a reprimand for Rochdale's Labour Controlled Council, and yet nothing about it feels surprising. The Department for Transport’s traffic-light system was meant to make matters clearer, but for local people it only confirms what they already knew, the roads are failing and the council isn’t keeping up.

Local Liberal Democrats are saying what many residents feel, the council seems, at best, "asleep at the wheel". The wider best-practice scorecard flags Rochdale as not meeting the expected standards in key areas of road maintenance. That red warning isn’t just a colour; it’s evidence that routine care is slipping and basic standards are being missed.

West Heywood campaigner Tom Shaw put it plainly, saying "The more potholes appear on the road and are left untreated, the worse they gradually get and the more likely they are to cause vehicle damage or even, God forbid, an accident. It is disappointing to see Rochdale Council marked red for failing to tackle potholes. This speaks of poor priorities at Rochdale Town Hall, leaving Heywood residents paying the price on car repairs and disturbance."

Liberal Democrats are calling for more than another dashboard colour. 

Tom Shaw added that "Local people have told us they want clear standards for road repair that will be actioned quickly by the Council. That demand is reasonable, and yet our Labour Council leaves local people weary of having to ask for basic repairs again and again. I will continue to report local potholes and call for clarity from Rochdale Council."