Graham Stuart MP criticised after contractors surface private road to his home

BEVERLEY AND HOLDERNESS MP GRAHAM STUART has received lots of attention in the national and local media after council contractors resurfaced the road leading to the MP's house for free.

Articles in The Telegraph, The Mail and The Mirror and in the Hull Daily Mail have reported on criticisms of the MP after his wife, Anne, asked contractors working for East Riding Council to resurface part of the road leading to their home. The work, estimated at a cost of around £2,500, was completed using left over tarmac and waste materials which might otherwise have been given to a farm as waste products. 

On his website Graham Stuart has praised the initiative of his wife:

“My wife saw the road workers on Hengate and told a workman that if they had any spare tarmac they would be welcome to put it in the potholes of Seven Corners Lane. The workman said that they might, as it could cost the company money if they had to dump it."

“My wife cycled off and on returning home was delighted to see that they had laid a path of tarmac on the worst stretch of the lane. At no point did my wife identify herself to the workmen, give her name or mention who she was married to. I’m pleased my wife had the inspiration to ask and am glad it suited the company to dispose of its excess material in this environmentally friendly way. At no cost to anyone it will now help residents, walkers and members of the tennis club who all use Seven Corners Lane."

It would seem that the issue here, is not the actions of our local MP who happens to have a wife that uses her initiative, but it is ensuring that all the useable materials available to a public contractor are used carefully and economically for the public benefit.

Our definition of "waste products" - in this case the surplus tarmac, other materials and labour time of the workers - needs to be looked at more carefully and changed to suit the economically difficult times we are living through. The waste products from the Hengate roadworks may have been given to a local farmer to dispose off, used to fill potholes, or used productively in the area in which the workers were operating.

In this case it would seem that local area option - completed at the request of a conscientious good neighbour - was the right one.