Council Leader attacks critics for “hypocrisy” in Red Tarmac Row

Council Leader attacks critics for “hypocrisy” in Red Tarmac Row

Sefton Council Leader Ian Maher has rounded on critics in the Lord Street red tarmac row describing their protests as “shameless”.

The council is planning much-needed road resurfacing works for the town’s retail hub but has decided to use black tarmac instead of the current red surface. It’s a decision that has drawn criticism from the Conservative’s Leader in Sefton, Harry Bliss and the former Liberal-Democrat MP for the town, John Pugh.

Speaking on behalf of the Labour Group, Councillor Maher condemned what he described as the “hypocrisy” of the complaints:

“It is disappointing that the former MP for Southport, for example, does not understand the consequences of his participation in the Coalition Government, in which he consistently voted to cut central government funding to Sefton Council. By 2020 Sefton will have lost some 50% of its revenue funding. As such, hard decisions have to be made. The squeeze on the services we provide is quite frankly unbearable.”

Cllr. Maher said that attempts to ignore responsibility for this by both Conservatives and Liberal-Democrats were “simply pathetic” and claimed:

“Their continued demonization of Sefton Council in such circumstances is as unforgivable as it is shameless.”

Traffic will be disrupted for around six weeks by the Lord St roadworks which will be completed in four stages by the council but it is the decision not to use red tarmac that has been seized upon by critics.

It’s a complaint that Ian Maher says simply doesn’t take into account the financial realities the council has to face:

“The decision on resurfacing Lord Street and indeed other such works must be cost-effective. The difference between red and black tarmac cost is significant, it would more than double the already considerable cost of the resurfacing works.”

The Labour leader in Sefton though believes his opponents have to shoulder the burden for the choices being made:

“They wanted those cuts, this is part of what it looks like, there is no road paved in gold, or, sadly, red, as a result. We cannot pretend that nothing has changed since 2010.”