Wrexham council car park priority over pothole repairs 'a joke'
- Published
People have claimed that potholes on a town centre roundabout are a more urgent priority
Wrexham council bosses have defended a decision to resurface a car park used mostly by councillors and staff before fixing potholes on a busy roundabout.
Motorists have reacted angrily to the Guildhall car park being given priority over the roundabout near Tesco.
Senior officers said the barrier-controlled car park - closed to the public during office hours - needed the £22,000 repairs for safety reasons.
Work on the roundabout is set to be carried out later this month.
Ste Harry was one local who criticised the council's priorities as a "joke", claiming on Twitter, external the roundabout was far busier than the car park and a "danger to everyone".
Nick Bell tweeted, external: "I'd like to see if any of them has the guts to say yes I authorised the work."
Plaid Cymru councillor Marc Jones has also been critical, saying people felt the independent-led administration was getting its priorities wrong when council jobs were at stake due to financial pressures.
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In the council's defence, deputy leader David Bithell, who is also cabinet member for transport, said the scheduling of roadworks was decided by officers rather than politicians.
However, he claimed the car park was in a key location, being used as the civic entrance for weddings and other events.
"You could argue that it's part of our important landscape in Wrexham to make sure that it's viable and economic for growth in the town centre," Mr Bithell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
He added: "I'd just like to remind everybody that it's not a councillor car park - it's a public car park that councillors use."
Senior officers said it was decided to fix the car park's "deteriorating" surface during the summer holidays, to minimise disruption.
Councillors previously enjoyed the use of the car park free of charge until permits priced at £144 a year were introduced in May.
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