'There is no money' - Barriers creating an obstruction on a narrow Banbury road must stay put

That is the response of Highways bosses to motorists using the B4035 Shipston to Banbury road who have to navigate the obstruction.

They say there are no funds to rebuild and restore the edging bricks on the pavement at the top of Broughton Road, close to Frank Wise School.

Resident Rodney Rushton went on social media to complain about the situation.

“These are on the Broughton Road just before the turning for Frank Wise School. The barriers have been there now for over two years and are around an area of kerb edging that has broken up.” he said.

"I informed 'Fix My Street' and had a video message back to say it was not important enough to warrant action.”

Others called the situation ‘disgusting’ and ‘outrageous’.

The barriers are at a notorious pinch point in the road, where it narrows to accommodate the only parking available to Broughton Road residents.

The road is a main route from Shipston to Banbury, carrying the Bretch Hill and Stratford buses. It is also the main route for lorries and even agricultural traffic carrying grain across town.

However only two small cars are able to pass at the best of times and a voluntary ‘give way’ system operates among those who know the road. The barriers make the situation worse.

A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council told the Banbury Guardian: “We are aware of the need to carry out these repairs, but due to limited budgets and higher priority sites, we have been unable to do so. We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.

“If and when additional funding becomes available this financial year, we will hopefully revisit this site and look at setting a timescale for carrying out the work.”

Fix My Street is a reporting system which allows individuals to pinpoint and describe issues to the Highways authorities in the hope of getting them resolved. These may be anything from potholes to graffiti and from fly tipping to street lights.