People in Cardiff are complaining that paving work on cracks and uneven surfaces is unsightly and dangerous.
Slabs are being replaced with black concrete patches in Riverside and Grangetown.
One local shop owner, Hannan Mahmood, says these patches and spray paint outside his shop, are unsafe and unsightly.
“It doesn’t affect us as much as a business directly but it is a problem for customers when they are trying to walk in,” he told CJS News.
“The pavement stones they’ve used are now cracked and they are filling them with this asphalt tar material that constantly comes apart in little stones. This is a hazard for customers and it’s not the best material they could have used”.
Local people are also complaining about how it looks and claim it’s ruined the character of the road.
But Riverside councillor Iona Gordon, says because of a lack of funding, the traditional Victorian slabs are too expensive to replace.
“Last year in my ward, on 12 streets, with absolutely no warning and where there had been no complaining, Victorian slabs were replaced by black tarmac that looks horrible in my opinion.
“But I’m afraid I have to say that councils are strapped for cash, we have large deficits to meet, we’re having to make saving right across every single department and so if we have issues about uneven pavements the solution is tarmac” she told CJS News.
In a statement Cardiff Council said “Our highways team attend to temporary repair and make safe areas until more work or resurfacing can be carried out. I have sent the photo to our highways team”.
