RESIDENTS of Aireborough and Horsforth are fed up with the appalling state of both major and minor roads in the two districts which some of them have described as 'a disgrace'.

Motorists say they are exasperated with having to dodge the many ruts, potholes, sunken or lifted grates and manhole covers as well as experiencing bumpy rides over uneven surfaces.

They say they should not have to put up with this any more and feel, quite rightly, that the road fund tax they pay should be used to improve and maintain roads under the responsibility of Leeds City Council. Some residents have even been embarrassed when they have taken visitors out for a run in their car.

This mess is there for all to see. Even if the potholes and ruts are repaired motorists will still have a bad ride. For instance, Henshaw Avenue at Yeadon has been resurfaced but the tar and chippings were laid down over an uneven surface so the end result is not much of an improvement.

This deplorable road problem is not really new and, in fact, the problem was so bad years ago that Aireborough was often referred to by locals as Potholeborough.

The council had, however carried out a first-rate job on Cemetery Road at Carlton when a smooth tarmac surface was laid down. So far so good, but recently a contractor arrived to carry out further work to another section of the road and laid tar and chippings on the smooth surface which to members of the public must be viewed as a waste of money.

Motorists who suffer damage to their vehicles as a result of hitting a pothole can put in a claim to the city council for reimbursement of their repair bill.

They need to write to the council and state when and where their vehicle was damaged and the time of the incident. They also need to send a statement relating to the work carried out by their garage and it is advisable to take photographs of the pothole, ruts, raised or sunken grates before they inform the council of the incident.

If more motorists took this course of action and are paid out, then the council just might put the roads of Aireborough and Horsforth in order.

It is such a shame that it might take this sort of action to cure the council's inaction.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.