A ROW has broken out over who should pay to repair a Southampton road that it is in a “appalling state”.

Lordswood Close in Bassett is currently littered with potholes after years of deterioration and no repairs.

As an unadopted road, the residential street is currently not owned or maintained by Southampton City Council despite being inside the authority’s boundary. This means that those living in the street are expected to fork out for repairs.

But now, under plans that are being discussed at a meeting on Monday, the council is planning to pay out £250k of public money in order to fix the road.

Daily Echo: Lordswood Close, Southampton.

Deputy leader of the council Jeremy Moulton, told the Echo that following completion of the work, Lordswood Close would become a council-owned road as part of a £22m highways scheme which will launch later this month.

He added: “The administration is reviewing the council’s policy towards unadopted roads and new policy will be put in place in the Spring of next year, after which time works to Lordswood Close will be carried out.

“The road surface is in appalling state with only a remnant of tarmac, is heavily potholed and is breaking-up into loose stones. The pavements are in a poor condition and there is no streetlighting.”

But opposition councillor Lorna Fielker said: “£250k is a lot of public money for the council to allocate to small a cul-de-sac which they have no responsibility for.

Daily Echo: Lordswood Close, Southampton.

“Keeping up unadopted roads is the responsibility of the owner of properties which front on to the road, they would have been aware that they needed to maintain it when buying their homes.

“Undertaking expensive repairs and accepting future responsibility sends a message to property owners responsible for private roads that the council will take over if they choose to let it fall into disrepair.

“This significant sum of money would be better spent on those roads which the council do have responsibility for.”

Council records claim that the road was developed immediately after WW2 and it is not clear why it wasn’t adopted, but over the past 70 years, it is said to have deteriorated into an “appalling state” according to Cllr Moulton.

One resident of the street claimed that they have been calling for the council to adopt the road since the 60s, but nothing has happened and that now they are concerned about its safety.

“We don’t want to live in an unadopted road. People have got families and small children. We have been waiting long enough now.”

Cllr Moulton added: “There are a number of unadopted roads in the city and the new council policy will consider the approach and options in respect of these.”