A MAJOR plan to improve Cleveland's roads and streets has been issued with a priority.

An Independent councillor is urging the authority to start with unadopted streets that are in such a state that he has described them as "medieval".

Coun Steve Kay said he recognised that this week's bid by chief executive Mr Colin Moore was to "drag Redcar and Cleveland council out of the doldrums where it has wallowed for so long".

Solving the problem of unadopted streets was a worthy cause.

Coun Kay, who represents Lockwood and Skinningrove, said streets were a worsening problem ignored by all councils since the early 80s.

"Hundreds of families step out of their homes on to what are no better than cart tracks," he said. "It is unrealistic to expect people to bring them up to standard themselves. The council must do this and adopt them, front streets first."

Prime examples included Aysdalegate, near Charltons, Wharton Place in Boosbeck and others in Lingdale, Skinningrove, Carlin How and Margrove Park. "Traffic is causing them to deteriorate rapidly," he said. "In the 21st century, people should not have to live in these medieval conditions."

Coun Kay and fellow ward member Coun Bruce Mackenzie have invited Mr Moore to see the streets. See page 5.