A problem with potholes at a town centre car park in Kirkby-in-Ashfield means the district council will spend almost £12,000 on fixing the surface before it becomes unsafe. The Ashfield Independent-led authority plans to spend the cash at its site on Hodgkinson Road in Kirkby after the damage was found.
The council says it conducts inspections of its car parks and nearby footpaths to “ensure they remain safe” for both the public and council staff. A recent inspection of the Hodgkinson Road site, near the new Kirkby Leisure Centre, found “a number of potholes to the road and car park”.
Without repairing them, the authority says they could “become a health and safety issue”. Now a delegated decision – taken outside of a council meeting – has been made to approve a contractor for the works.
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Quotes from three specialists had been sought, which returned prices varying from £11,779 to £15,375.96. Papers say each quote was evaluated based 75 percent on the cost and 25 percent on the quality of the work.
Assessments of the quotes mean the authority will spend £11,779 conducting the works, with the decision approved on Friday (May 26). In the report, approved by Paul Parkinson, executive director for operations, the authority said: “The council undertakes regular inspections of its car parks and footpaths to ensure they remain safe for the public and staff to use.
“Recent inspections have identified a number of potholes to the road and car park at Hodgkinson Road Car Park in Kirkby. These potholes need repairing before they become a health and safety issue.
“It’s the intention of the council to award the contract to the supplier that scored the highest overall score following the evaluation process. The cost of carrying out the tarmac repairs will be £11,779.
“Carrying out the repairs will ensure the car park remains safe for members of the public to use.” The authority said it had alternative options, including not conducting the works or permanently closing the car park.
However, it said: “[Doing] nothing … will result in the potholes becoming worse over time and increases the potential risk of a claim from members of the public.
“Permanently [closing] the car park … will prevent visitors from parking and will result in a loss of income for the council, along with reputational damage associated with closing a busy car park.” The repairs are now expected to be conducted by the authority in the coming months.
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