Pavements in borough are lined up for new look
Slabs used to pave footpaths across Sandwell could be torn up and replaced by tarmacadam to cut repair costs and minimise the risk of accident claims.
Sandwell Council is studying the feasibility of introducing the change across the borough after concerns over existing maintenance procedures were made by councillors.
Members said paving slabs became worn and damaged quickly with some lifting up making the paths uneven and creating an increased risk of tripping for pedestrians.
They said the situation opened up the risk of claims being made against the authority alongside regular maintenance costs for repair and replacement of the slabs.
Wednesbury councillor Geoffrey Lewis said the issue had first been raised by the town's scrutiny panel but was an issue which affected the whole borough.
And he said the suggestion had been put forward to replace footpath paving slabs across the entire area with tarmacadam to solve the issues.
Councillor Lewis said: "We had a situation in Wednesbury where slabs along a footpath were removed and tarmacadam laid in its place. It seemed to solve all of the issues which first prompted the idea of looking at this across the entire borough."
