Local councillors and Prospective MP delighted for residents as long saga of city centre footpath has happy ending.
Local councillors and Prospective Winchester MP Steve Brine have given an enthusiastic welcome to the completion of long-awaited works to improve the Airlie Road footpath.
- Steve Brine TV - Watch 'Pavement Politics'; a short-film featuring those pictured on the 'new' footpath.
The path, which is a well-used route from Airlie Road and Lower Stanmore into town, had fallen into a dangerous state and was particularly difficult to navigate with pushchairs.
Cllr Ian Tait has worked hard with fellow St Michael’s Councillors Fiona Mather and Robert Sanders – as well as Stanmore Councillor James Stephens – to get a new surface put down.
“This has taken far too long but we got there in the end and all credit to Conservative-led Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council, plus the University of Winchester who contributed, for getting this fixed”, Ian said.
Cllr James Stephens said; “The many residents in Stanmore who use this path day in day out will be really pleased.”
Prospective Winchester MP Steve Brine added; “This is a really good news story so well done to everyone concerned. I guess you could say this is true pavement politics in action!”
- Download the Winchester Post Lite related to this story (from Friday 31 July 2009).
Pictured above; Cllr Fiona Mather, Steve Brine, local resident Andrew Beadle, Cllr James Stephen and Cllr Ian Tait inspect the councils’ handy work.
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The background to a long-running saga … courtesy of St Michaels Ward Councillor Ian Tait:
Cllr Ian Tait first identified the issue back in 2002 when this area was switched into St Michael Ward from the adjoining St Luke’s Ward. Whilst canvassing, many local residents were complaining that over the winter months this very useful route into town and up to the station was virtually un-useable because of mud and flooding issues.
After having spoken to the City’s Engineers and Legal Team Ian was disheartened to learn that because the path was owned by Railtrack, the MOD and A2 Housing, the Council could not improve or maintain it. Sadly back in 2002 there didn’t appear to be any political will to push matters forward and while Ian asked a series of questions in Full Council little progress was made.
Everything changed in May 2006 when the conservatives took control of the Council. Ian and his fellow councillor Fiona Mather quickly got onto the new Transport boss Cllr Keith Wood and Keith promised that as soon as he got his feet under the desk he would do what he could to help.
True to his word Keith Wood came up with a solution and with the excellent work of City engineer Andy Hickman driving the scheme, Keith was able to find £20k for the project which was immediately matched by the County. On top of this the University were keen to support the work and added a further £2000 to the total.
It took some doing to get the Railtrack, the MOD and A2 Housing to agree to the scheme but with Andy Hickman’s magnificent efforts it was approved and with the added drive of newly elected Cllr Robert Sanders the steamroller really got going.