A Salterforth sexton is calling for major repairs on a Barnoldswick lane to stop people experiencing a bone-shaking ride to and from a historic church.
John Blades, owner of Salterforth-based Sexton Contractors and Chapel House Funeral Services, has urged Lancashire County Council to relay rather than repatch Ghyll Lane which runs down to the 12th Century St Mary-le-Ghyll Church.
Mr Blades, who has been the sexton at the church for four decades, says he has never seen the lane in such a condition and believes it’s “undignified” to expect people to travel down such a poor surface for church services.
He also carries out funerals at the church and says firms who lend him £100,000 hearses for such occasions are complaining about the state of the road.
Mr Blades said: “I’ve been the sexton nearly 40 years and the road surface just keeps getting worse and worse.
“We’ve got to the stage, myself, the church council and others, we’re just despairing. I get so my complaints from people because I spend a lot of time down there.
“I know it’s not a major road but the road leads down to a Grade I listed building. It’s one of the most famous churches in the country.
“These hearses that go down the lane are £120,000 or £130,000 a time and have extended chassis which are getting hammered to bits. The coffins are bouncing about all over the place.
“Hearses and limousines are having to slalom from left to right down the lane to avoid the potholes. I think it’s undignified.”
Responding, Oliver Starkey, Lancashire County Council’s highways manager for Pendle, said: “Ghyll Lane is due to be fully resurfaced in February next year and we’ll be contacting the church in due course to make arrangements for a road closure to allow work to take place.
“We’re sorry that Ghyll Lane has not been in very good condition in recent years but we have limited funding for resurfacing and have to prioritise those roads most in need of full repair.
“We have always made temporary repairs to maintain Ghyll Lane in a safe and serviceable condition and will inspect it for safety over the coming days.”