MORE financial help has been agreed by Stow Town Council to bring part of a private road in Spring Gardens up to adoption standard.

The town council had already pledged £2,000 towards the cost of the work estimated at £7,500 in order for it to be made to a sufficient standard for Gloucestershire County Council Highways to take it over and maintain it in the future as a public highway.

A clause written into the deeds of eight houses in Spring Gardens stated they would each be required to pay an eighth of the remainder of the cost in what could be agreed as a 'fair and proper share' of the cost of maintaining it.

Seven of the houses are privately owned and one is owned by Bromford Housing.

At a recent meeting of the town council, chairman Councillor Alun White stated the amount put forward by the committee was as an act of goodwill and would not set a precedent if any road in other parts of the town were to be brought up to adoption standard.

"We have had discussions with Gloucestershire County Council Highways and they have agreed that they will adopt that section of Spring Gardens but it has to be brought up to a reasonable state before they will," he said.

He said ownership of the road rests with Bromford and the seven residents but because the road is used as access to the allotments and cemetery, the finance committee suggested a goodwill gesture of £2,000.

"As a town council we have no obligation to do anything," added Cllr White.

Spring Gardens resident Robert Wise suggested 80 per cent of the road use was made by those accessing the allotments which are rented from the town council and asked if the council would put more towards the cost.

"It's a bit galling that we are expected to pay so much," he said.

The council agreed to ask Bromford if they will contribute more and the committee themselves carried a proposal to contribute a maximum amount of £3,300.