Some months ago I noticed yellow spray paint on the floor on the footpaths and damaged kerbs in Smiths Drive and many other streets in my area.

I could hardly contain my joy, at last, after living in Smiths Drive at the cul-de-sac end for 33 years, for the first time we were going to get some kind of work on our footpath.

The contractors started in Morton Avenue, and speaking from experience what a fine job they were doing. Not long now they would soon be here, but days turned to weeks, still no sign of them. In desperation I spoke to a nice lady in the highways department of the county council, and my joy turned to despair, there was no money left for my end of Smiths Drive.

I pointed out to her that between 60 and 80 children and parents use the path en-route to Cavalry and Neale-Wade schools five days a week, twice a day; and how many years had passed with no maintenance, but she only repeated that they had used all the funds.

What a pity then, that they had the money to rip out 20 metres of the old footpath, lay new edging and tarmac outside 103 and 105 Grounds Avenue, that have been empty for months waiting to be demolished to create access. This will now have to be ripped out to complete the access.

What a waste of rate payers’ money, along with usual incompetence, we know why the council has no funds to complete vital works.

ROD THURSTON

Smiths Drive

March