A MEMBER of the shadow cabinet has backed two Labour council candidates' calls for more action on potholes around villages outside Oswestry

Kerry McCarthy MP, Labour’s shadow roads minister, supported calls from candidates Natalie Rowley, who challenging Steve Davenport's St Martins seat and Craig Emery, who is up for Rob Macey and Mark Jones's Gobowen, Selattyn and St Martins ward.

The pair wrote to Shropshire Council last month asking for details on what action has been taken to permanently fix potholes in their villages, but also to criticise what they called 'wasting tax-payers' money'.

Ms McCarthy agreed, stating: "Natalie and Craig are right to call for answers on the state of local roads in Gobowen, St Martins, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn.

"Shropshire Council is forever promising to fix potholes in and around the villages, but they never deliver.

“Given the colossal waste of taxpayers’ money on consultants and the failure to make any decent improvements to local roads, I hope the Council will answer Natalie and Craig’s questions before residents head to the polls in May."

READ MORE:

The letter from the pair asked Shropshire Council to confirm how many reports it had received from the four villages, how many have been repaired, how many are awaiting repair and what timetable of action for Twmpath Lane.

The pair stated its focus on the latter was because it links a vaccination centre in Gobowen to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital.

The letter included: “Your Council’s decision last year to appoint a £1,000-a-day pothole consultant was met with absolute disbelief in our villages.

"In the time since, there has been no proper improvements to local roads across Gobowen, St Martins, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn.

"Despite your suggestion in 2019 that roads in Shropshire are “doing okay”, we are writing to let you know that situation is now outright dangerous.

"Twmpath Lane in particular requires urgent attention, especially considering the use of the road for access to the vaccination centre at the Orthopaedic."

Shropshire Council declined to comment.