Residents campaigning against Brent Council's polict of replacing paved footways with tarmac have launched a petition opposing the policy on the 38 Degrees website HERE.
They state:
In this (Chandos Road) instance it wastes £129,000 of Brent residents money - on our street it would have cost about £3,000 to repair the paving stones after many decades of use. This type of project is taking place across the UK under the guise of making economies under austerity and health and safety implications both of which can easily be refuted. There has been no consultation and Brent and other councils need to be challenged.
Tarmac is a pollutant to our environment and aesthetically pollutes our urban landscapes where most people live. It is sad that the contractors are taking up paving stones that are fit for purpose and allowing them to be crunched up for aggregate which flies in the face of reuse and sustainable practices. Trees have been damaged and others removed with little justification.
Tarmac adds nothing positive to the public realm package and will require more upkeep than our existing pavement.
The money could be spent where it really is needed.
Supporting the petition local resident Mike Baker comments:
The initial and ongoing environmental and financial costs of replacing perfectly good pavement by tarmac are shocking. While making savage cuts elsewhere, Brent Council is forcing through this wasteful and destructive policy againt the vocal opposition of the majority of residents affected. It must be stopped.
