PARENTS of disabled children who travel over deep potholes to get to school have put their concerns to a senior Surrey politician.
John Furey, the county council's cabinet member for transport, highways and environment, met with parents and staff at Woodlands School in Fortyfoot Road, Leatherhead, to listen to their complaints about the state of the road.
The plight of the children with severe learning needs and complex disabilities was the focus of a campaign which launched in June and urged the county council to make urgent repairs to the road and for the road to be permanently adopted.
Mr Furey told the Advertiser: "This is a totally unusual case because of the pupils who go to the school and their special needs.
"The problem we have as a council is, is it right that residents' money is spent on unadopted roads?
"If I was to do something with this road I am looking at a claim from any other part of the county from somebody else about an unadopted road.
"So there needs to be extraordinary circumstances before the council would consider repairing and adopting the road.
"Regrettably when Fortyfoot Road was built it didn't come under the control of the district council at the time, and in the years since it has deteriorated badly."
He continued: "We need to carry out a cost assessment which would entail capital expenditure should Surrey County Council consider that the road, for extreme circumstances, should be adopted.
"I would like to progress to a stage where we can make a decision within four weeks."
Linda Kemeny, the cabinet member for children and learning, and Surrey Highways group manager Mark Borland also attended the meeting at Woodlands School, along with county councilors Tim Hall, who represents Leatherhead and Fetcham East, and Clare Curran, who represents Bookham and Fetcham West.
After Friday's meeting, head teacher Adrienne Knight said: "They listened to what I had to say and we have to wait now.
"We tried our hardest.
"I wouldn't want to assume one way or another. It was very businesslike."
