Norfolk County Council has said £8.9million is due to be spent on pavement and footpath maintenance across the county in 2020/21.
The council’s response comes after research by Living Streets said that one in three over 65’s across the East of England said cracked and uneven pavements prevented them from walking their local streets.
Cllr Martin Wilby, Cabinet Member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: “In December 2020 it was revealed that Norfolk had once again secured the top spot for overall satisfaction in the annual National Highways and Transport (NHT) survey compared to 29 other county councils and larger unitary authorities.
“3,300 people in Norfolk were asked for their views as part of the survey and I’m pleased that our overall score for pavement and footpaths was 4 per cent above the national average. We know the importance of good walking and cycling infrastructure, and in the year 2020/21, we are set to spend £8.9m on pavement and footpath maintenance and improvements.”
Earlier this month, Mary Creagh, chief executive of Living Streets, said: “Being able to simply enjoy a walk down your own street is currently off limits to millions of older people because local pavements are simply not up to the job.
“Investing in well-maintained and clutter free pavements would help everyone walk more – tackling inactivity, air pollution and isolation.That’s why we are calling for local authorities not to forget pavement potholes and to use a fair share of the funding for pavements.”
