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Blackpool’s new Promenade cracking up
Shared space area near Blackpool Tower
BLACKPOOL’S multi-million pound Promenade is breaking under the strain of traffic – just months after opening.
The Gazette counted at least 14 potholes, broken paving slabs and sunken areas on the stretch of shared space between New Bonny Street and Talbot Square. There were too many areas with minor defects and missing mortar to count.
It comes as traders on Waterloo Road, South Shore, raised the same concerns about £1.3m of new roadworks in their areas failing within months of being laid – as trader Darren Thickett today pointed out.
Our survey of the Promenade’s ‘shared space’ area – between the Comedy Carpet and Blackpool Tower – followed complaints from lorry and taxi drivers about the state of the newly-opened road (right).
Bill Lewtas of the Blackpool Licensed Taxi Association said: “We’ve noticed the new Prom is breaking up already.
“When you consider it’s only a few months since it was created, it’s very disappointing.
“We would hope the contractors will be putting this right at no cost to Blackpool Council.”
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John Donnellon, Blackpool Council’s service director for the built environment, confirmed there were problems.
He said: “There are a few small-scale defects in the paving which the contractor has already investigated and is repairing.
“Some of these repairs are being done overnight to minimise traffic disruption.
“It should be remembered that the paved area, which is 500 metres long and covers some 15,000 square metres, is fit to meet all traffic demands and the problems, while not welcome, are small scale and being promptly repaired.”
The shared space area, part of the £14m Festival Headland project, is designed for pedestrians and traffic to use with minimal divisions – kerbs are almost non-existent and different stones in the surface mark where the road layout is.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY SEE FRIDAY’S GAZETTE.
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Weather for Blackpool
Wednesday 30 May 2012
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